Police Academy Becoming Blue
by Andorian Ice Princess-AIP
Summary: The youngest member of the Reagan clan joins the Police Academy. But coming in with the name Reagan will garner the right and wrong attention. Can Jamie make it to graduation? Or will certain jealous elements force him to leave? CHAP 25 UP NOW
1. Crossing Over

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 1 – Crossing Over **

**Summary:** The youngest member of the Reagan clan joins the Police Academy. But coming in with the name Reagan will garner the right and wrong attention. Can Jamie make it to graduation? Or will certain jealous elements force him to leave?

**Disclaimer: **Sadly I own noting from Bluebloods except my DVD's and my crazy muse.

**A/N:** Okay so I am still going to do the 3rd story in my 'Blue' Series and have Cappezari come back to target Jamie but I got this idea after hearing something Frank said in the last eppy and then allowing my muse Alice to expand upon the idea. So I hope you all like this!

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><p>Jamie looks down at the cup of coffee still grasped in his hands and feels his stomach tighten once more. He can't remember a time when he was this nervous – ever. Well maybe he could but this was different. His warm blue eyes drift toward a folded piece of paper atop a plain white envelop with a distinct seal on it and for a few seconds he closes his eyes and gives his head a shake.<p>

_What am I doing? Do I want this? _His mind asks over and over, the answers always the same. _I am doing what I want and yes. _It was simple but then if it was that plain and simple why was he feeling this anxious and frustrated. He knows but just doesn't want to actually verbalize the words.

_'Frank you have to promise me…'_

_'Anything Mary, name it.'_

_'Jamie…I don't want him to become an officer. Make sure he stays in law.'_

It was something Jamie wasn't meant to overhear and it was something he'd never tell his father he had overheard when his father was at his dying mother's bedside. How could he say no to her then? Of course he had to give in. Jamie's mind thinks back to that moment when he heard his father give in, his mind already in conflict that he didn't want to take the bar upon graduation, that he was thinking of joining the police academy instead; his went to his room and silently cried.

A noise breaks his thoughts, forcing Jamie's tormented gaze to look up and out the window into the busy Manhattan street, his hand finally complying with his brain to bring the cup to his lips and take a sip of the dark stimulant.

"Dad I joined the police academy," Jamie mumbles to himself, his mind an immediate contradiction between elation and concern. Would his dad be happy after he had promised their mother who had recently died that Jamie would not become an officer? Would his brother back his decision or would he not want to think of possibly losing another younger sibling in the line of duty?

If he was honest, Joe's death was also part of the reason he wanted to join the force, to add one more Reagan name to the mix; and coupled with the stories he'd listen to his oldest brother sharing at the weekly dinner table, garnering the approval from his father and grandfather, it all seemed to cement in his mind and heart that he wanted to be blue; NYPD blue.

"Dad I joined the police academy," Jamie tries again, this time with a bit more conviction, leaning back in his chair and then glancing over at anther piece of paper with a Harvard seal on it. He had lost his mother and more recently his brother and now to be grappling with this kind of decision after spending more than a few years accumulating debts for a professional he'll never put his name on was mental insanity.

"What am I doing?" Jamie waffles as he reaches for the Harvard paper, unfolding it and looking at his final grades. Of course they were near perfect, it's what he had expected of himself and knew what his family had expected of him as well. But toward the final part of his last year before graduation, serious doubts had taken root and refused to let go, instead growing steadily each time he was around his father and brother, silently reveling in the stories of bravery, courage and of course loss and frustration.

But the honor that came with proudly displaying an NYPD shield seemed to outweigh the personal follies that came with the job, including the modest salary.

_'Being blue isn't about makin' a lot of money,' _he had overheard Danny telling his oldest son, _'its about the pride and respect that that color and shield represent.'_

Those words…that conviction had made Jamie's heart swell with pride and it was that night that he had mailed off his application for the police academy.

He had told himself to keep it under wraps that he was thinking of joining in the off chance that he wasn't accepted. He didn't want to automatically assume because of his last name that he'd be given automatic consideration; he was hoping his other qualifications would earn him a seat in the fall intake, putting his graduation the following summer.

Jamie knows that entering the police academy will bring a certain instant stigma attached to his name, his mind knowing that most will expect him to do as well as his two brothers that had been through earlier. It could gain him instant respect.

_I can do this…of course I can do this…they did it…I can to. _He tries to convince himself as he takes another sip. But not being a blind fool he knows that his name will also garner the wrong attention, those who perhaps didn't see eye to eye with his father's style of leadership or had a personal vendetta against them as well. This wasn't going to be just a walk through central park.

Jamie hears some soft laughter and looks a few tables over at a woman that bears a small resemblance to his current fiancé Sydney. He hadn't told her either. Would she still support his decision? Or would she be upset that he made it without consulting her? Her being one of his biggest supporters all throughout Harvard Law, her also being a graduate and about to take the bar.

_'This is great we can rise through the ranks together and maybe open our own law practice together one day,' _she had gushed enthusiastically one night during their graduation year; a few months back. Now he was about to break that promise by telling her he was going to abandon their plans and pursue his own professional dream, carrying on the Reagan family tradition.

With that thought now taking hold of him, Jamie quickly finishes his coffee, gathers up all his papers and leaves the small back booth of the busy coffee shop, heading for his shared loft apartment.

"Hey Syd you here?" Jamie calls out as he enters the quiet dwelling. He quickly puts things away and then heads into the kitchen, his mind racing with wonder as to how his fiancé would react upon hearing the news. They were supposed to get married next summer but the exact date might be delayed due to these new events.

Jamie starts to pull out a few things for dinner and then goes to do the laundry, wanting to keep his mind occupied and himself busy until he told Sydney what he feels is vey exciting news.

_Course she'll be happy for me, she loves me right? I'd support her. _His mind reasons as he finally hears her turning the door to enter their apartment. He heads for the door just as she enters and greets her with a warm smile and hug.

"To what do I owe this greeting?" Sydney asks in wonder.

"I'm not allowed to hug you when you come home?"

"Of course…" Sydney gives her head a small shake and then pulls back with a tender smile. "How was your day off?"

"Somewhat productive," Jamie answers a bit nervously as he follows after her into the kitchen, taking the small bag of groceries and then setting them down on to the counter.

"Yeah what did you do?" She wonders, her back still to him. But when she doesn't get an answer, she turns to him with a wondering expression. "Jamie?"

For a few seconds an inner war wages about how to tell or just to blurt it out and then deal with the aftermath, the latter won out.

"I was accepted to the Police Academy," Jamie states with a nervous smile.

Sydney looks at him in utter shock and is unable to speak for a few seconds. "Um…what? The police academy? As what, a guest speaker?"

"No as um…a recruit," Jamie gently stammers, his agitation skyrocketing. "That's great….right?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were applying?" She asks almost crossly, holding back her disappointment.

"I thought…I wasn't sure I'd get in f…"

"You're a Reagan, they'll practically role out the damn red carpet," she bites back with an angry shake of her head. "And what about the bar?"

"I'm uh…not going to take it," Jamie answers in truth.

"After all that time in Harvard?"

"I know shoulda thought about that..."

"A few years back," she interjects. "And the cost?"

"I've thought of all that I s…"

"Really? Or were you just so caught up in one of your brother's glory moments last Sunday at family supper that you forgot about what we had planned and just decided to do your own thing, thinking only of yourself?"

"This doesn't change us Sydney, only my career decision. I thought you'd be happy for me."

"It does so change us. What about our plans to pass the bar together, get experience and then work on opening our own law practice as partners? Together?"

"This is what I want."

"Again with just you."

"Shouldn't I want to do something that makes me happy?"

"Paying off a whole crap load of student loans for something you'll never use, does that make you happy? Because basically you just took nearly one hundre…"

"I know the cost and I know what this means," Jamie argues back. "I want to work for the NYPD like the rest of my family."

"Joe's dead," she retorts angrily and Jamie grits his teeth.

"I know that," Jamie replies with a softer tone, making her face instantly soften. "I want to do this."

"And you want my support?"

"I was hoping for that," he answers matter of factly.

"Your father happy about this?"

"I told you first. Look I know it's not what we planned but…"

"And you know you won't be making much money right?"

"Yeah I know," Jamie nods as he slumps down into a nearby chair, Sydney walking up to the one beside him and easing herself down into it. "I want this, I really do."

"Why didn't you tell me you were planning this?"

"Because we had made plans and I know what you said after Joe died," Jamie says as he looks up at her with a tormented look, his mind thinking back to the evening of Joe's memorial service.

_'I'm just glad you aren't going anywhere near the police force. I'd never want to go through that.'_

"I wasn't meaning to guilt you into not being open with me."

"I had to do this…for me on my own. I didn't ask my father, my brother or you because I have to…I want to do this for me."

"Joe died. Jamie I don't want to lose you."

"Danny's still…you won't okay?"

"And tell me this isn't some kind of personal crusade to replace your brother in your father or Danny's eyes."

"I am doing this for me," Jamie insists. "Sydney I'm sorry I wasn't honest with myself right from the start but I just wanted to get in on my own merit."

"You honestly think that once your father finds out that he won't pull a few strings to get you fast tracked somehow?"

"Trust me he won't do that," Jamie relates in truth. "He knows if he cheats he'll lose all credibility and he'd never take that chance."

The two of them sit in silence a bit longer before Jamie's hand slowly snakes out and rests on Sydney's hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. "This will work."

"You are going to school for another what…six to seven months? And now we'll be living off my single income?"

"I can get a job…"

"We both know the schedule in intense from what Joe told you. I'm sure you've already looked it up so don't tell me something just to make me feel better."

"I've put my loans on hold," Jamie confesses.

"Right," Sydney sighs as she pulls her hand back and just stares absently into the living room area behind him.

"This is gonna work."

"Okay," she turns back to him with a tight-lipped smile. "Supper right?"

"Sydney?"

"You've made up your mind right?"

"Do you not want me to go?"

"Oh no…I'm not gonna be the one to make the final say in this and be blamed by you if you don't agree. You have to make this decision."

"Will you support me?"

She looks at him and frowns, her mind signaling her heart to give in but not being strong enough to erase completely the seeds of doubt and betrayal that were now taking root deep inside her soul; feelings that would be allowed to foster and grow, their future now in doubt.

"I will but this can't become too much of a burden for me also," she reminds him as she gets up out of the chair and heads into the kitchen.

"It won't, I promise," Jamie states almost eagerly as he gets up to join her.

"Okay then. When do you tell your family?"

"Tomorrow."

"And when do you start?"

"Next week with the new fall intake," he answers in haste. "So supper?"

"Let's just have something light okay? Just not that hungry anymore."

"Sure," Jamie nods, feeling a small lump of emotion hardening in his throat and being unable to swallow it. He studies her face and knows she's hiding her true feelings of disappointment, maybe even abandonment? He hadn't discussed it with her and now fears that he's maybe started to create the beginning of an emotional chasm that will slowly get wider and then reach the point of no return.

"Anything else you're hiding from me?" She asks with some disdain.

"That isn't fair," Jamie lightly groans. "Sydney I'm sorry I just had to…"

"Yeah I know...do it for yourself," she looks up with a tormented expression. "Just wish you had trusted me." And with that she pushes past him and heads for the bathroom, his fist landing on the countertop the same time she slams the door shut; dinner would be moot and the night head long and fraught with mental uncertainty.

XXXXXXXX

True to his surmise, Jamie's night was restless and spent most of it awake, either staring up the ceiling or in a chair staring out the window into the milky night wondering if he had just been the sole cause of his future self destructing. Sure Sydney had told him that she was willing to support his decision but he could tell by her tone and cool body language this morning that she still wasn't happy and he wonders what kind of support she'll offer during his time at the academy. Or was this the slow start of a downward spiral?

He feels the police academy acceptance letter pressing against his chest and swallows. What would his father say? He knows his grandfather will probably be very happy and proud but his father had promise his mother that he stay the safe route and stick with law. Would he be mad now? What would Danny say? Would he have their support? With Sydney's on the subtle decline he would have to depend on his family, especially his brother to get through this.

Jamie's mind drifts toward Danny and linger. He and his oldest brother were never really that close, Joe was always more attentive and affectionate toward the youngest Reagan sibling; another reason that had cemented his desire to be in the NYPD. But with Joe gone and Jamie not wanting to turn to this father for everything, would Danny mind helping him from time to time? Or would he pass off his youngest brother as a mere irritation that should have stuck with his original career choice.

Jamie slows his pace as he nears his father's house, feeling his heart rate starting to rise and his stomach tighten further.

"Dad I joined the Police Academy," Jamie whispers to himself, wanting to boost his confidence as he slowly climbs the stairs, his mind still trying to anticipate his father's reaction to the surprising news.

"It was my choice and I want to do this," Jamie whispers to himself once more, his hand pausing before pulling the key and pushing the door open.

"Dad I joined the Police Academy," Jamie repeats once more before he unlocks the door and then steps into his father's inviting house. "Anyone home?"

"In here," Frank's warm voice calls out, followed by Henry's welcome. Jamie leaves his jacket on as he slowly heads for the kitchen, his hear rate nearing critical and his mind racing. He stands in the doorway and is greeted by two smiling faces.

"Hey kid take your jacket off and join us for supper," Henry greets him with a warm smile.

"I um…can't stay long but I…" Jamie pauses, making Frank look up from his task at the island and gaze at his son in wonder.

"Jamie, what happened?" Frank inquires, his fatherly radar instantly kicking in.

"I have….news…good news but news…"

"You're getting married," Henry teases, getting a small warning glance from Frank. "He looks almost panic-stricken, what else can it be?"

"Pop he's already engaged. Jamie what is it?" Frank asks again.

"I joined the Police Academy."

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><p><strong>AN:** Thoughts so far? How will the family react, Danny included and what do you think Jamie's first day is gonna be like? Easy or will he quickly become a target of jealous recruits?

Okay so since we don't know much about Jamie's time during police academy I'm making most of it up. Despite the fact that I didn't like Sydney she will have to factor a bit into this but this is gonna be heavy Jamie/Danny b/c I love to write my brothers the most with of course father/son moments and the rest of the family in there at times as well.

So should I continue? Interested to see how he makes it through? Please review before you go and thanks so much in advance!


	2. Waiting to Exhale

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 2 – Waiting to Exhale**

**A/N: **Thanks so much for all the great reviews everyone! I am excited for this story and hope you all continue to like it as much and review. Also the show started out with Demarcus as Danny's partner so as much as I love Jackie I wanna keep as much canon as possible so you'll see him a few times as well. And much like my other stories, if there are suggestions and they fit I could use them so please continue to review! :)

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><p>Jamie looks at his father's expression, his small nervous smiling morphing into a thin flat line the longer his father just looks at him but says nothing.<p>

"Uh…dad?" Jamie finally dares to ask after a few more tormented silent seconds tick past. "Did you hear…"

"Sure he did," Henry pipes up as he gets up from his chair and walks over to Jamie and gives him a warm hug. "Isn't that great Francis?"

"That's great Jamie," Frank states almost mechanically.

Jamie looks at his father's expression, hears the tension in his voice and tries to calm his rapidly beating heart. "I know it's kinda sudden but…"

"What happened to make you change your mind?" Frank asks in a firmer tone, making even his father look back in wonder.

"I…" Jamie starts and then pauses, his once happily nervousness now replaced with growing anxiety. "I want to be a cop like you and Danny and um…and Joe."

"Jamie you're about to take the bar in a few weeks and…"

"I know but I…dad I want this. I want to join the NYPD. I thought you'd be happy for me."

"I am happy for you, it's just so sudden."

"I know but thought I'd duck out now before the bar...before I past the point of no return."

"Jamie..."

"That's great right dad?" His soft tone almost begging for approval.

Frank, feeling his father's eyes boring a hold into the back of his head looks at his youngest and offers a weak smile, a small lump of emotion catching in his throat and refusing to be swallowed down. "Jamie you know I'll support any decision you make."

"But you're not happy for me?" Jamie manages; his voice slightly cracking.

"Course I am," Frank offers a smile that his father didn't even have to see directly to know it was fake. He pulls Jamie into his arms and offers him a rather stiff hug, making Jamie instantly surmise that he wasn't telling him the whole truth. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"I have thought a lot about it and I know I can make more of a difference on the streets than behind a desk."

"Oh your sister does a pretty good job behind a desk."

"I know but…"

"Well I think it's great," Henry interjects with a smile. "Kinda like a tradition for any male with the last name Reagan. Was wondering when you'd come to your senses."

"Pop, don't guilt him into anything."

"He's not," Jamie rushes to his grandfather's defense. "I wanna do this…for me," he insists as his hands nervously shove back into the pockets of his jacket.

"Have you told Sydney?"

"Yesterday. She was also surprised and of course mentioned my loans and stuff."

"A cop's salary isn't nearly what a lawyers can be, especially a criminal lawyer as you wanted to be."

"Thought it wasn't about the money."

"It's not," Frank replies with a small smile, his mind a mix of elation and anxiety over this latest news. His mind instantly flashes back to a bedside confession in which he had held his dying wife's hand and promised that Jamie, her youngest, wouldn't follow the male family code and wear the uniform.

_'Promise me Frank.'_

And despite the fact that he had always said he wouldn't sway his children's professional future in any direction based on personal opinion or emotion; he made a promise that was now coming back to haunt him.

_'Mary I promise.'_

"Thought you guys would be happier for me," Jamie shrugs, his lips offering a small nervous smile. "I will pay back my loans."

"So then you've already applied and been accepted?"

"Thought you would have seen my application and asked me about it."

"If I had seen it I would have, but I usually only get those that need my special approval," Frank admits.

"With your last name I think it was a given," Henry pipes up, making Frank inwardly groan. "I think it's great; lawyers can be sissies. Except your sister, she has the ba….well whatever women have to keep them on their game," he huffs. "Proud of you kid," he grins, making Jamie's face slightly relax.

"Thank you," Jamie offers softly as he looks back at his father. Then before Jamie can say another word, Frank gently leads him into the living room for a little heart to heart.

"Just tell me that you are doing this for you and not because you think you need to replace Joe for me."

"No…what?" Jamie asks with some surprise. "Dad I want to do this. I have for a bit now…I think I lost my heart for being a lawyer about a year ago and it slowly just…faded. Don't tell Erin."

"Oh no," Frank pulls back a bit, "you'll be telling your sister all that on your own," he smirks and Jamie just nods thoughtfully.

"Are you really happy for me? Because if not then…"

"I'm not about to put any personal guilt on you about Joe, Jamie, it wouldn't be fair," Frank admits. "I will always, love, support and be proud of you no matter what you do, but you have to do this for you."

"Sydney wasn't that happy," Jamie sighs as he looks down at his fingers as they absently fiddle with the zipper pull on his jacket. "She um…well she was actually mad."

"Yeah women don't like to be surprised when it comes to matters of money and future; especially if they had a hand in planning either. How would you like it if she just up and told you she was about to change everything you two had planned for a few years together and worked toward as a team?"

"I know I'd be as put off as her. I don't blame her but I just wanted to do this for me without any…"

"Verbal interference one way or another?"

"Figured you'd always back me."

"You'll always have that Jamie but remember in there…I can't ask anyone to show you special favor, understand?"

"I wouldn't think of it," Jamie assures his father with a small smile. "I know it won't be easy and I know it'll be a lot of hard work and another seven months of schooling."

"You're gonna come out with a lot of burden you know that right."

"I do and I'm ready for it," Jamie insists. "I want this…I really do," he tries again, almost wanting to convince himself now as much as his father.

"I can tell you do," Frank notes with an easier tone.

"And I'm not here to ask for money either. I want to do this for me…on my own."

"Jamie if you need help to defer some of the cost…"

"No dad I'm okay. I know its gonna be hard for us for the next few months but um…well I have a line on a part time job and I know I can make this work."

"That's gonna be a very tight schedule," Frank mentions in concern. "You don't wanna burn yourself out."

"I'm only gonna work on days with the heavy academic schedule so that I can also study at work during my breaks if I have to. That way for the physical stuff I can just go home and study and rest," Jamie explains. "Think mom would be happy? I know she wanted me to stay with law but…but do you think she'd be mad?"

Frank looks at the small tormented but wondering expression on his youngest's face and feels his heart starting to beat a bit slower. _'Promise me Frank…promise me Jamie won't go to the NYPD.' _He wasn't about to lie but nor could he tell him the promise he had offered her just to soothe her mind at the time.

"She'd be proud of you no matter what," Frank tries to assure Jamie with a warm smile, praying that his tone wouldn't betray the doubt in his own mind. Never a doubt about Jamie doing well as an officer as he had taught all his children to give one hundred percent in everything they did; it was a doubt now about living with himself and the ultimate betrayal he was offering to the woman that had given him Jamie.

"Well I should go. I wanna tell Danny and then I'll um call Erin."

"Call?"

"She can't throw anything at me that way," Jamie smirks.

"Oh she can you just won't be there to physically receive it."

"She's been one of my biggest supporters for this."

"She'll back you Jamie. This is your decision and it's not fair for any of us to sway you either way."

"Even Danny?"

"Especially Danny," Frank smiles. "Let me know if you have any problems."

"Thanks dad."

Both of them stand up, Frank pulling Jamie into his arms once more for a warm hug before they head for the living room where Jamie tells them he can't stay for supper but will see them both on Sunday.

"Francis? You're not happy about this?" Henry asks as soon as Jamie's gone and the door is closed.

"What makes you say that?"

"I'm your father," Henry quips. "Now what is it? He practially left in tears and that's not like a Reagan, I should know."

"It's…" his mind races about what to tell his father about his promise to Mary. "It's nothing," he offers in half truth, "supper ready?"

"You're a terrible liar Francis."

XXXXXXXX

Jamie's nervous agitation once again skyrockets as he nears Danny's precinct and then stops just outside, wondering if he should even go in there or wait one more day. But he knows if Danny hears it from anyone other than him, there would be hell to pay – literally. So taking a deep breath, he slowly heads inside praying for a smooth conversation.

Danny looks up from his paperwork at something Demarcus says and smirks, his eyes catching his youngest sibling heading toward him with a small frown. "Hey Harvard, you lost?" Danny teases, drawing a small frown to his brother's face. "Okay…what's up?"

"Got a sec?"

"Sure. Demarcus was just heading to the donut shop to get us a midnight snack," Danny winks at his partner.

"You're heading home for dinner Reagan," Demarcus lightly groans as he looks over at Jamie and nods. "Hey kid how's it goin'?"

"Good thanks," Jamie nods before he slowly eases himself down into the chair next to Danny.

"So what's up? Wanna report a crime?" Danny teases.

"No I um…" Jamie nervously stammers, trying to gauge his brother's reaction before he continues too much further. But Danny had long since mastered the ultimate poker face, and Jamie was damned the moment he opened his mouth.

"Why are you so nervous? Something happen?" Danny asks in immediate concern.

_Just spit it out already, _Jamie's mind commands, his lips quickly following suit. "I joined the police academy."

At the same time Jamie utters his statement, Danny's face goes instantly to that of a state of surprise, Demarcus rounding the corner and then slowly backing up, muttering something about taking a few extra copies and allowing the brother's time to discuss this life altering news.

But before Jamie can say another word, Danny's up on his feet, grabbing his jacket and dragging him toward a small private room. "What the hell did you just say?" Danny nearly demands, slamming the door shut and making Jamie slightly jump.

"I joined the police academy," Jamie replies in a soft, nervous tone; his brother always the force to be reckoned with when his Irish temper was flaring.

"Why?" Danny asks, glaring at Jamie in frustration.

"Uh...I wanted to," Jamie answers with a small shrug, his mind now spiraling downward at the thought that only his grandfather was happy about his sudden decision. "I just wanted you to know," Jamie adds before he heads for the door to escape. Danny's thick palm presses against the door and keeps it closed, looking at Jamie in anxiety.

"Hold it right there. Did you tell dad?"

"I was just there."

"And he didn't try to talk some sense into you?"

"This is my decision Danny," Jamie argues back, looking at his oldest sibling with frustrated and somewhat cross expression. "I thought my family would be happier for me…"

"Why because now I have another greenhorn to babysit?" Danny retorts, his words coming out faster than expected and not checking with his brain first. He notices Jamie's outward wince and silently curses himself.

"You won't have to babysit me," Jamie groans as he just shakes his head and turns away. "So much for telling Sydney I'd have my family's full support."

"What did you expect?"

"I expected that everyone would be happy for me like they were for Joe and I'm sure for you," Jamie shrugs.

"Guess Sydney wasn't too pleased?"

"Seems no one is but me," Jamie sighs as he turns back to Danny with a defeated expression, Danny's heart instantly dropping to a dull thud. "I want to do this for me. I have felt this way for some time…it's not like it's a spur of the moment decision," Jamie rattles off in his defense. "I know Erin is gonna be mad but I didn't think you'd be."

"You thought I'd be happy about having another one on the streets that I hafta worry about?"

"You never worried about me before," Jamie counters in a meek tone and Danny grits his teeth. "I just wanted you to know, that's all," Jamie sighs in a sad tone, wishing that he'd be able to go home tonight and at least tell Sydney in truth that he has his family's happy blessing and whole hearted support.

"Jamie…"

"Look its not like I'm gonna be coming to you for…"

"Help?" Danny concludes.

"Sure," Jamie nods as he heads for the door. "I start next week, just wanted you to know."

And before Danny could say anything more, Jamie pulls the door open and heads for the entrance doors, leaving his brother standing dumbfounded in the small break room.

"Hey Danny what's that all about?" Demarcus inquires in concern.

"Hell just froze over," Danny chides as he grabs his coat and heads for the front door, leaving his confused partner to ponder that statement until the following morning and muttering _lucky Linda _under his breath as Danny disappears.

_Is no one happy for me, _Jamie's mind spins around as he looks at his phone display, his eyes fixed on his sister's number as he contemplates calling her. But he knows he owes her the same in person conversation as he did the rest so hops in a cab and heads for her office.

A tepid knock is heard, prompting Erin to look up from her stack of paperwork and smile at seeing her youngest brother enter. "Hey Jamie…what brings you here?" She asks with a sweet smile.

_Just get it over with now, _his brain commands in sorrow as Jamie slowly sits down on the couch before her desk. "I just wanted to tell you that I joined the police academy."

Since he had already faced a barrage of less than enthusiastic responses from his family, Jamie's heart wasn't as crushed by his sister's rather disappointed expression.

"I might ask why but after hearing you gush all over Danny's tale at family dinner last sun…"

"It has nothing…okay well not nothing but I wanna do this for me," Jamie insists.

"Jamie you were the top of your class, you'd ace the bar," his sister encourages. "Why are you going to throw that all away?"

"Well," Jamie sighs as he looks down at his hands, Erin's motherly instinct immediately kicking up at his lost expression. "I just wanted you to know."

"Danny already read you the riot act?"

"A little," Jamie shrugs. "I guess, I'll just be doing this my our own."

"Don't try guilt with me, I'm beyond that. I have a teenager," Erin huffs as she just shakes her head, pushes herself up from her chair and heads for the couch, sitting down beside her brother. "You know you can make more of a difference in law right?"

"Talk about guilt."

"It's not guilt, it's the truth and maybe we didn't tell you that enough. Yes I'll admit that listening to Danny's stories of bravado can make us all think that his job is the most amazing thing in the world; the hard stuff he saves for Linda or dad, he spares you, Nikki and his own kids that – thank goodness."

"I think I can make more of a difference in uniform."

"And what about Sydney? You two talked about working a few years and then opening your own practice?"

"She's not that happy but um…but I think she'll come around," Jamie offers with insecurity. "At least I hope so."

"And the student lo…"

"Isn't anyone happy for me? Just hey Jamie way to go, what a great decision?" Jamie snaps as he stands up and looks at his sister with a flushed face. "I know it's not what anyone wanted to hear…I know Sydney and it seems now all my family is pissed and yes I know about my huge debt load," Jamie's voice stammers in anger. "I just always thought that my family would be there for me, backing such an important decision and not making me feel like I just made the biggest mistake of my life."

And much like Danny, Jamie's frustration forces him out the door and Erin just sitting there wondering how things could have gone better, before she gets up, heads for her desk and calls her father.

XXXXXXXX

Jamie heads home under a thick cloud of gloom. _ I come from a family of cops…_his mind tries to reason. _ I get Erin being upset because she helped me so much during my time at Harvard, but Danny? Dad?...did I really make the wrong decision?_

And instead of entering his apartment with a genuinely happy smile, Jamie's face pastes on a tight lipped grin to greet his fiancé.

"Sydney?" Jamie calls out as he enters their quiet loft apartment. He nears the closest kitchen counter and spies a piece of paper and picks it up, looking at it with a rather despondent expression.

_'Jamie…bar study group tonight. Guess you won't be joining us. See you later. S'_

"Guess not," he laments in quiet misery as pulls open the fridge, his stomach, much like the night before, not that interested in food. Instead he grabs a beer and heads into the living room, sagging down into the couch and absently turning on the TV. He takes a sip and then replays all the tense and rather discouraging conversations with his family – even his father didn't seem genuinely happy for him.

The day had started with hope and promise, Jamie wanting to be able to come home and brag about his family's support and backing and confidently look forward to next week. Instead all he can do is replay in his mind all the fake smiles from his father and disappointed expressions from his older brother and sister. He had wanted to come homoe tell Sydney that she had nothing to worry about because his family would be helping with any financial strain they couldn't handle; instead all he can do is sit alone take another swig of his beer and ask himself out loud:

"Did I do the right thing?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** So second thoughts? Well we know that Jamie actually does go but who does he talk to that helps him see his decsion was right? And what do you think his first day will be like after all this? What friends will he make and what enemies will he instantly attract? And will he and Danny make peace? Or will Jamie face some tough enemies alone? Please review before you go as you know it makes us write faster! Thanks so much everyone!


	3. Reworking the Future

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 3 – Reworking the Future **

**A/N: **Okay so in the pilot we met Maria Romano, the cute Hispanic girl that I believe was the sharpshooter of the class, so she'll be mentioned in this story. Any other OC's are the result of a random of my overactive Immagination or a name generator – any resemblance is just a coincidence – sue the web if you want lol. Otherwise thanks so much for all the great reviews and hope you like this update!

* * *

><p>Not feeling much in the mood to eat after the stressful day, Jamie pulls out a file labeled expenses and then starts to scan it, letting his eyes rest on the bottom figure.<p>

"This isn't going to work…" Jamie's words trail off as he looks up at the clock and frowns. Even with his loans on hold, he'd still have to figure a way to pay for the Academy course as well as have living expenses so as not to become a burden to Sydney or his family. But the longer he ponders his current predicament, the faster the excitement he had about it starts to slide and soon he finds himself wondering if he just shouldn't tear up the application and continue on his previous course, putting aside his own personal career wants and aspirations and following the money.

"Ahh I hate this," Jamie grumbles as he slams his fist down on the table and then leans back in his chair, his soft blue gaze still fixed on the papers before him and his mind racing for an easy solution. He thinks back to his discussion with Danny and feels his fists tighten. Sure he was closer to Joe, but he honestly expected Danny to embrace the idea, not toss back at him that he'd have to be looked after or would need a babysitter.

"I'm an adult Danny," Jamie grumbles as he pushes himself away from the table, determined in his mind to try to come up with a financial plan that makes sense and would at least ease some of the stress coming from this whole ordeal. Sydney's absence wasn't helping either; forcing his mood to even lower depths.

"Maybe she really is angry," Jamie ponders as he cleans up the table, puts the file back in order and heads to bed, wondering when his fiancé was gonna come home, or if at all. It would be another tormented night ahead.

XXXXXXXX

"Morning," Jamie greets Sydney the next day, feeling her stiffen in his grasp as he offers her a hug and then pulls back.

"Missed you last night," she offers flippantly as she hands him a cup of coffee; adding a bit of guilt in referring to their previous normal routine.

"Yeah um…sorry," he replies, not really knowing how to answer properly. "How'd it go?"

"Actually it was fun. We discussed…old times…just yeah it was fun. How'd it go with your family?"

"Great…yeah they were all…"

"Shocked like I was?" She interjects.

"That but um…they're happy for me," Jamie adds, trying to hold back his own inner sorrow at the untruthfulness of his words.

"Really?"

"Course," he shrugs as he takes a sip of his coffee, praying for a change in subject. "So, what's up for today?"

"Well since we won't be studying together…"

"You can stop with the outright guilt okay," Jamie interrupts rather crossly.

"What did you expect? Me to be all happy and cheery when you basically killed our professional future all by yourself?"

"It wasn't set in stone. You know I'd be supportive if _you_ wanted to do something different."

"Fine Jamie…fine you want my support you have it."

"Begrudgingly doesn't count for much," he groans as he puts the coffee cup down on the table and then storms into the bathroom; exiting a few minutes later to an empty apartment, Sydney not sticking around to make amends. Jamie grits his teeth as he grabs his coat, needing some fresh air and a change of scenery.

By the time he reaches his father's house, all he can do is tiredly knock on the door and merely collapse onto the closest couch.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what happened?" Henry asks in concern.

"I…had to walk…. I wanted...to walk," Jamie pants as he straightens up a bit, looking at the older Reagan male with a tormented gaze. "I really screwed up didn't I?"

"I know this might sound kinda silly but don't take it personally," Henry mentions, making Jamie's frown deepen.

"Both Danny and Erin thought I was nuts and dad…did I do the right thing?"

"Course you did and I'm not trying to sway you…well maybe a little, but this ultimately is your decision. You know the family will back you?"

"Willingly?" Jamie retorts in haste, as he slumps back onto the couch. "I start next week and all I can think is that my family thinks I'm doing the wrong thing and maybe they are right."

"Nah they don't think that. But after a few years in one profession to do an about face just like that…to them, seems sudden."

"I guess I should have mentioned my desire earlier," Jamie shrugs.

"Mighta helped. But this is your life and I get that you didn't want any interference before you knew anything for sure right?"

"Exactly. Danny was pissed."

"When isn't Danny pissed when he's not the one doing the telling," Henry smirks. "No matter what, your brother will always have your back."

"More like my backside to kick," Jamie winces.

"He'll come around."

"And dad?" Jamie dares to ask.

"Your father loves you but don't forget he's still trying to cope with two very personal losses."

"I'm not doing this just to replace Joe. I really wanna work for the NYPD."

"Hey kid I believe you," Henry offers warmly. "Don't fret too much more about it okay? Want some muffins?"

"You made muffins?"

"Just about to put them in the oven. Come on I could use a hand."

"Sure be there in a sec," Jamie replies as his phone buzzes to life, allowing Henry to head into the kitchen and call Frank. Jamie answers the text back and then goes in search of his grandfather, the two of them talking and laughing over some baking follies, using up the time until Frank came home just before dinner. Frank enters the living room and looks at his son and offers a weak smile before telling Henry he just needs a moment.

"Jamie, about yesterday…"

"I know…I kinda surprised everyone with the news and…"

"I want you to know that I am happy for you but also concerned. I know you'll do well so I'm not worried about that. But sometimes its hard to shelve the father persona and just talk to you like your boss."

"Can't you do both?"

"Your father would say to stick with the legal field as it's safer. The police commissioner would say another Reagan can only make this city proud. See Jamie, I can't sway you either way. But either way you'll have my full support and backing."

Jamie looks at his father, his mind wondering if he should bring up the fact that he had overheard him promise his mother that he'd stay in law or would that only add to the guilt his father was probably already feeling? He had mentioned his mother the day before but even still…it eats away at him. _Maybe I'll wait and see…_his mind ponders. _I might not even have to bring it up if all goes well with this._

"And Danny and Erin?" Jamie dares to ask.

"Well they come from a long line of stubborn people…"

"Speak for yourself Francis," Henry calls out making Jamie and Frank exchange amused expressions.

"As I was saying," Frank lightly chuckles, leaning in closer and squeezing Jamie's shoulder. "I am here to help and support you in any way I can."

"That's good to know," Jamie replies with some uncertainty.

"But you don't believe me?" Frank counters.

"No it's just that…I do…I do believe you. I guess it's mostly the financial stuff that I worry about right now."

"I have an idea that might not be the most ideal but it will help with some of the expense."

"An advance?" Jamie smirks.

"You could always move back here and I'd let you live rent free until you graduate and then you could decide what you want to do."

"Really?"

"Really. I know it's something you'll need to discuss with Sydney but…"

"Trust me I doubt she'll notice," Jamie replies sourly.

"Things that strained?"

"And getting worse. Maybe some apart time will actually help. I feel guilty for not telling her but it's like I betrayed her and committed the unforgivable sin or something," Jamie laments.

"If she truly loves you son, she'll come around. Plus saving money can help with the wedding next summer right?"

"If there is one."

"Okay before you start to drown in misery, why not call her up and invite her over for dinner and we'll bring it up there," Frank suggests and Jamie slowly agrees. But a call to his fiancé goes as expected, her busy and him wondering if they would even last to the end of the week. So Jamie has supper with his father and grandfather, wondering what he could expect when he'd get to his apartment later that night and tell Sydney the news.

XXXXXXXX

"Well maybe it will be better to take a break," Sydney starts as she looks at Jamie with a frown. "Rent free would help."

"That's what I was thinking. Plus it'll help us with some of the cost for the wedding next summer."

"You mean fall."

"Fall? What happened to…"

"You graduate next summer. We'll push it to the fall."

"Okay…sure," Jamie agrees, wanting at least something to be on neutral ground. "So how was your day?" He asks, trying to change the subject in hopes of at least calming some of the rising tension. But her answers were short and somewhat curt and he knows he's facing another night alone, to be cuddled only by his restless mind.

"I hate this tension between us," Jamie confesses with a sad tone the following morning. "I miss us…you know being intimate."

"Just haven't been in the mood Jamie, I'm sorry," Sydney replies with a frown of her own. "I miss us too…the old us…the ones that…right sorry I shouldn't keep bringing it up."

"When I'm at my father's it'll be hard to um…well you know," he stammers nervously.

"You'll survive," she lightly teases as she pecks his cheek. "See you later."

"Right…sure."

Jamie watches her go and then curses inwardly; the next seven months were going to be an emotional and romantic death sentence. But trying to push past that, Jamie starts to pack up his stuff, having already gotten some boxes the night before and calling for the movers. They'd still have to pay out the month as they had given too short of notice, but Jamie said that Sydney could stay if she wanted or until the end of the month – it was her choice.

"All settled?" Henry asks Jamie as he leans on the doorframe to Jamie's old bedroom.

"For now," Jamie shrugs. "I'm gonna have dinner with Sydney tonight."

"Ah yes the last supper," Henry quips, earning an eye-roll from Jamie. "Just wait until family dinner on Sunday."

"Think it'll be a verbal roasting?"

"More like silence of the lambs," Henry chuckles as he walks away and leaves Jamie to finish putting his stuff away. But as Jamie thinks about what dinner will be like, especially after his talks with his brother and sister, his anxiety grows once more. Even during his meal with Sydney, he tries to put on a brave face, smiling when the comment called for it and laughing when expected; inner tensions, however, were still very high, almost painful.

"So you wanna do something on Saturday?" Jamie asks as they linger outside together after their dinner.

"You sure you won't be too busy with your new life?"

Jamie's mind tries to push past the small dig, instead forcing his head to shake no and his lips to slightly smile. "You are still my life Sydney. So Saturday?"

"Call me okay?"

"Sure," Jamie nods as he gives her one last kiss and then watches her get into a waiting cab, before he turns and heads for the subway and then bus, opting for the more cost effective way home. But it once again afforded him time to think about how things were going. Actually moving into his father's house did lift a bit of the financial burden and knows he'll only at least have his law school loans to contend with when he completes his NYPD recruit training.

The next two days were pretty much the same, Jamie getting a few last minute things in order before Monday rolls around, Sydney moving out of their apartment, him confirming his job schedule, getting his books and then memorizing the training schedule, mostly wanting to keep busy.

"Here let me take that," Jamie offers to help Henry with the food for Sunday supper, the family slowly arriving. Erin and Nikki were first to arrive, Nikki right away saying congratulations and telling him it was the right thing to do.

"Can I have a moment?" Erin requests as she takes Jamie aside into another, more private, part of the house. "Jamie I just wanted to apologize for my…well rather curt response the other night."

"I knew it was a surprise but I just wanted to make sure I was accepted so that everyone would know I was doing this for me."

"And I understand that. I will support you but I do have to be honest I think you should have stuck with law. You have so much to offer in that field," she replies with a small smile. "But you know that I'll help you in any way I can right?"

"Thanks," Jamie offers a small smile in return.

"How's Sydney?"

"Distant," Jamie huffs. "I know she doesn't like this either but um…well it's just for seven months so I can save some of the cost."

"It makes sense and I'm sure in a few days when this is routine, she'll come around," Erin replies with a sweet smile. "You okay otherwise?"

"Just need Danny's buy-in and I think I'll be okay on Monday."

"Well we all know how easy Danny is to get along with," Erin sighs. "Don't worry about him, he might not say it out loud but you can be sure he's happy."

"More like worried he'll hafta babysit his little brother."

"I'm sure that thought probably dashed across his brain for a few seconds, but you're an adult now and…trust me he'll come around."

Jamie gladly accepts a warm hug from his sister as they head back into the living room. Despite the fact that Jamie's mind tells him that Erin was still somewhat disappointed over him abandoning law at least she _appeared _genuinely happy for him and that made a big difference. Danny was next. Jamie enters the dining room and sees Danny talking to one of his boys and gives him a small smile.

"I hear you joined the academy," Linda mentions in a quieter tone, instantly making Danny look up at them and frown, Jamie quickly swallowing; her mind instantly recalling her husband coming home in a rather emotional state of mind, telling her that Jamie was going to become a cop and him rashly stating he was going to be forced to either babysit or bury another one. She of course calmly reasoned that Danny only had his father and grandfather to contend with and both were active with the force at the time and supported him whole heartedly; Jamie was the last and it wasn't fair that he didn't get the same in return. Danny of course begrudgingly agreed and Linda knew in that moment he would come around; just on his terms.

"I did," Jamie nods as Danny looks back down at the item his youngest son was showing him. "Danny was pissed right?"

"At first. Danny might not say it but he's proud of you," Linda whispers as she plants a small kiss on his cheek. "He'll come around, give him a bit of time."

"Thanks," Jamie whispers as Frank comes in and tells them it was time to eat. The moment Linda had told him that, Jamie felt his inner anxiety lessen. _'Danny's proud of you.' _Why can't he just say it himself? Jamie ponders as he sits mostly quietly during dinner that is until Frank says he wants to talk about Jamie's new decision.

"So I think most of us are aware of Jamie's news," Frank starts in a kind tone, Jamie looking at his father with a nervous stare as he feels all sets of eyes at the table turn and focus on him. "Jamie's starting with the police academy on Monday and I want to say I support his decision and wish him the very best."

"Does that man you'll work with dad now?" Jack pipes up.

"Hardly," Danny retorts and Frank is quick to look at his eldest child and frown, making Danny clear his throat and continue. "He has to go to school first."

"How long?" "What's he gonna study?" "Will it be hard?" The barrage of questions from the youngest members of the Reagan clan seem to fly at all the adults fast and furious, Frank stepping up to the plate to verbally bail out his youngest, the simmering tension between his two sons not lost on him. After dinner, Jamie waits for a chance to talk to Danny, wanting to have a bit more peace of mind before starting tomorrow.

"Danny, got a sec?" Jamie asks, looking at Linda who merely nods and offers a kind smile, telling them she'll get the boys ready to go home.

"Yeah kid what's up?" Danny asks in haste, making Jamie feel nervous all over again.

"I just wanted to clear the air before I uh…start tomorrow."

"Sure thing, break a leg or whatever," Danny huffs as he turns around. But as soon as he does, he looks at Linda who offers a rather narrowed gaze and he knows he better make up or else. "Jamie…" Danny sighs as he turns back to his brother. "Damn kid you look so…green," he sighs as he straightens up the lapel on Jamie's jacket. "You know going in there tomorrow there will be those that will either want to kiss your ass or kick your ass right off the bat for the name you carry right?"

"I know."

"A name that I wear proudly and that…"

"I'm not gonna screw up Danny," Jamie insists. "I just want your support. I know Erin isn't that thrilled although she acts like she is."

"Trust me women got us beat in the who's fooling who department," Danny groans. "Things okay with Sydney yet?"

"I doubt they'll ever be. I am not asking your permission Danny and I'm not asking if I did the right thing."

"You want my blessing?" Danny asks in slight sarcasm.

"I guess," Jamie resigns in a sad tone and Danny's mind instantly kicks him.

"Okay I'm happy for you," Danny offers in a quieter tone. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah…sure," Jamie pastes on a fake smile as he watches Danny nod and turn back to Linda who can only roll her eyes and just shake her head in exasperation. Out of them all, he wants his brother's blessing the most and the knowledge that in the coming month's he'd have someone to turn to for help if needed instead of running to his father. _Thanks a lot Danny…_Jamie's mind offers in sorrow as he gives them a small wave and then turns and heads for his room. _I wish Joe was here._

And with that sad thought, Jamie slumps into bed, nervous and anxious about what to expect the following day.

XXXXXXXX

Jamie awakens early the next morning, eager to get the day started and mostly over with. _I can do this, _he tells himself as he looks at his nervous reflection in the mirror before leaving the bathroom and heading to his room. Today he'd get his schedule, meet everyone and get an overall feel of what he could expect for the next seven months; telling himself that he survived a few tough years at Harvard and he could do this.

"See you tonight," both Henry and Frank call out as Jamie leaves the house and heads for the bus stop and then the subway, his stomach already tight with nervous knots. The ride to the downtown location seems to take forever in Jamie's mind but as soon as he arrives, he finds himself wishing the subway ride was longer.

He heads for the front desk to sign in, putting a tick beside his name and garnering a few looks when the clerk calls out that 'Jamison Reagan' was there and hands him his welcome bundle.

"Reagan?" A male voice slightly sneers, forcing Jamie's blue gaze to turn and look at two hardened and less than amused expressions glaring at him. "You the Commish's kid?"

"Nice to meet you," Jamie nods before he turns and heads for the main hall for the official welcome.

"Ha I guess you won't be the top star in this intake after all Garth," another male jabs in the ribs the one who mocked Jamie.

"Golden boy doesn't scare me Aaron. I don't care what his last name is," Garth growls as they slowly follow a few meters behind Jamie, Garth watching him with narrowed eyes.

"Well you better care, his family name carries a lot of weight."

"Out there maybe, but not in here. In here _my father_ rules things," Garth replies with a sly smile.

"His father is the police commissioner Garth, your father _works_ for him; golden boy is NYPD royalty."

"This is my turf Aaron, and I won't let him or anyone else take top honors, that I can promise you," Garth promises as he watches Jamie join another group of waiting recruits. _Your brother made a fool out of me and I will make you pay for that._

Jamie gives a half turn back and sees the two guys still watching and feels his agitation grow. He had expected some disdain early on, but had actually hoped he'd be spared any incidents on the first day. "Is this where we wait for the welcome?"

"It sure is. I'm Maria. Maria Romano," the young woman extends her hand and greets him with an enthusiastic smile.

"Jamie…Reagan."

"Reagan?" Another male recruit pipes up.

"Uh…yeah," Jamie frowns, wishing he could change his last name to smith for the next seven months. "And your name?"

"Tom Sawyer."

"Really?"

"Sadly yes," the young man frowns. "And before you ask I no…I don't know Huck Finn," he groans, getting a small laugh from those standing around, Jamie's nervousness starting to fade a bit.

"I'm Emma."

"Matt."

"Ryan."

He meets a few more of the waiting group, his mind dismissing the two still watching with vested interest, not knowing at that moment that he was now a special target and the next seven months would bring a lot of highs and a lot of lows.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Jamie mentioned I think I the eppy (Leap of Faith) or the one before that while he was in the academy he was at home and working so I had him move back home (he mentioned expenses and that made sense to me) and I also think their being separated helped to drive him and Sydney apart. So hope that's okay and you also liked this update. Would as always love your thoughts so please review before you go and stay tuned for more!

**PS:** Okay updated my season 2 forum with some spoiler news for eppy 2.15 titled The Life We Choose. I only hope the dead undercover cop with the last name Reagan refers to Joe – b/c if they are writing out my beloved Jamie am gonna be sooooooooooooooooooooooo upset! Unless it's a typo and just a 'friend' of the Reagan's? Come on over to my forum and join the discussion.


	4. Welcome New Recruits

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 4 – Welcome New Recruits **

**A/N: **Okay so right off I have never been an NYPD recruit and am only going by what I found on the net. So if you have been a recruit and something is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay out in left field please let me know; otherwise I hope you'll take some of the scheduling stuff with a grain of salt and indulge me and please don't flame as I took most of it from the NYPD site and another. Thanks!

* * *

><p>Jamie continues to casually chat with his new friends, glad that his last name didn't seem to matter and he was basically on equal footing with all of them at the moment. The signal sounds to start the date and Jamie glances sideways at the two other guys who had bugged him earlier and frowns as they just glare back. <em>What is their problem? <em>But then he remembers the advice that there would be those that would be instantly against him right off simply because of his name and even those that would try to curry favor for the same reason. _Thankfully I can still go home each night, _Jamie's mind ponders as he heads toward the main building.

They all head into the large auditorium for their first day welcome and orientation. Jamie sits down beside Tom and Matt, Emma, Ryan and Maria in the row ahead of them; Jamie's two would be tormentors a few rows behind.

"Welcome. My name is James Danton. I am a veteran officer with the NYPD and have been on the force for…"

Jamie listens to the welcome message; the reason for the Police Academy and what was to be expected. The days would be long and arduous with a mixture of intense physical training and academic classes; each evening home work was expected. There were a few exceptions for those living in the dormitories as opposed to those living elsewhere – but everything was still going to be strict and regimented; a foregleam of what could be expected as an officer in the field.

A few rules about appearance was given for men and women; very similar to the military, men were to have close cropped hair and women were not to wear cosmetics, jewelry or visible hair accessories; a recruit uniform while at the academy was expected; failure to follow any of the mandatory rules could mean strict discipline or termination.

"Now just because it's your first day doesn't mean we'll be going easy on you. After you are dismissed here, you will find your lockers, change into the uniform provided and report for your first physical evaluation. Now I know you had to pass a general physical exam to get in – that was the easy part, now the uphill battle begins – literally."

"No more donuts for breakfast," someone mutters and a few chuckles are heard; but a stern glance from the seasoned NYPD instructor and the entire group falls silent.

"Today will be your assessment and as soon as you're done, each of you will know what you excel at and what you need to perfect. Statistics over the years have proven that about two-thirds of you will not pass the first physical fitness test. By the end of your term here, I expect everyone to pass."

Jamie listens to the requirements, Bench press 99% of body weight; do 38 sit-ups per minutes and 29 push-ups per minute. _Better ensure I only drink alcohol on Friday and Saturday's only and no late nights, _Jamie's mind already comes up with a solid plan for keeping in shape; wanting to do as well in here as he did in Harvard, if not better.

"As you build your strength you will be trained how to properly use it; brute force will not be tolerated as well as getting your ass kicked. You get your ass kicked in here, you're dead out there," Chief Instructor Danton pauses, before carrying on. "When you need to restrain and handcuff a subject this will involve muscle and strength as well as specific body movements. This is to ensure you disable the person without rendering them physical harm and therefore are not slapped with a police brutality lawsuit. However, before you ask, yes you will study cases that an officer was justified in defending himself with force. In light of that we are going to teach you and you will be expected to learn and demonstrate the effective use of a variety of self-defense tactics and use of other non-lethal tools such as batons and pepper spray in apprehending a subject."

"What about the gun training?"

"Getting to that Quick Draw McGraw," Danton deadpans and shakes his head. "You will learn the proper use of a fire-arm and you will be taught that a badge isn't a legal justification to just shoot people willy-nilly. You will be taught to understand precisely when and how and more importantly where to shoot to prevent unnecessary death; so yes firearms training is a major component of this training program. In fact you all must pass marksmanship tests with up to ninety (90%) percent accuracy on a variety of guns that your instructor will show you."

Jamie allows his mind to wander back to a conversation between Danny and Joe about shooting ranges and exactly what kind of gun does what damage; the information back then useless, would now be invaluable.

"How many of you have a valid driver's license?" Danton inquires. "I should see one-hundred (100%) here," he lightly barks and the entire class raises its hand. "Better because if you can't drive leave now. So first off I want you to put aside that stupid stuff you see on TV and in the movies when it comes to high speed police car chases. While you will at times encounter intense chases, they will be the exception to your daily routine, rather than the norm. However, you must be prepared for them and we will teach you just that. The Emergency Vehicle Operations Course is also part of your physical training. It's basically an extreme version of a civilian's driver's license test, except you recruits will have to practice controlled skidding, car chasing while using a two-way radio, dealing with distractions, pedestrians and of course avoiding other crashes. If you think it sounds easy – it's not."

"Okay so anyone wanna leave now? If there is any of you right now telling yourself I have failed one part before I begin then you already have and please see me after class. If you have doubts about being perfect, carry on, that's normal. If you come to the end of this training in seven months and still feel that way – take up basket weaving."

Danton watches a few of the recruits muttering to one another before silence descends on the class once more. "So this ends the physical part of the course; my part. I'm now gonna hand the mic over to my counterpart, Instructor Dean Atchison. He's going to talk to you about the academic part of your stay here."

"Welcome again recruits," instructor Atchison takes the mic and looks out into the audience. "I guess looking nervous after Jame's warm and fuzzy welcome is normal," Atchison teases, getting a small smirk from his co-instructor. "My job here is to ensure that you leave this program with a knowledge of the law behind what we do. And while in my classrooms you will be given a uniform to wear and will be expected to wear it, respect it and realize what it stands for."

_The law behind it? _Jamie's mind ponders, _I got this down, _he states confidently; thankful that the past few years of schooling wouldn't be a wasted effort after all.

"Seeing someone out rightly breaking the law, in say a hit and run accident or someone caught breaking into somewhere or even caught doing public property damage; is easy to ascertain. But what about the murkier issues? For example you burst into a suspects home, unannounced and beat a confession out of him? Or what if you come across a domestic violence situation where children are involved? If you don't know how to properly enforce the law then you will be in trouble. So yes it takes some great muscle and quick hand eye coordination to shoot a target or wrestle someone down, but its knowing when to do so that will define you as a good police officer. Brain and brawn – you need and will be taught both."

Jamie listens to the various topics that they would cover as part of their legal instruction; and other topics such as observation skills, police and the media, responding to Adversarial Questioning, Civil Liability, hostage negotiation and ethics.

Jamie feels the intense gaze on his back and slightly shifts in his seat and twists his head to casually glance at those around him, some familiar faces; sons and daughters entering the academy from other long established police families. The two still watching him he wasn't familiar with but tells himself if he just avoids them, all will be okay. The two, however, weren't about to back down.

Finally it was time for the large group to disperse, find their lockers, get changed and head toward their appropriate weigh-in areas.

"Hey its great we're right beside each other," Tom comments as he and Jamie find their lockers in the men's section.

"A familiar and friendly face."

"And I'm not friendly?" A sarcastic voice is heard behind Jamie as he twists around to see one the new recruit named Garth that had made the snide comment to him earlier.

"Never got your name," Jamie extends his hand.

"I heard Tom Sawyer was white," Garth snickers before the other one named Aaron joins them and the two of them head toward weigh-in.

"What a dick," Matt frowns as he joins them.

"Yeah what is his problem?" Jamie groans as he closes and locks his locker.

"Beats me," Tom shrugs. "But I'm not gonna lose sleep over that fool I can assure you. I mean gee it's not like I haven't heard all the jokes before you know."

"Doesn't make it right," Jamie replies in haste.

"Come on…let's go."

Jamie follows after his two new friends; his mind wondering what Garth's problem was and if that tension would continue to grow or would it perhaps fizzle after the first few days have passed? They all head toward the main auditorium, taking their directions to line up at one end and then proceed one by one toward the weigh in section.

"Hey golden boy," Garth whispers in Jamie's ear as he falls in behind him, pushing Matt out of the way.

"Wrong name, its Jamie," Jamie retorts, his eyes still forward.

"_It's Jamie…_" Garth taunts a bit too loudly, garnering some attention in his direction.

"New Recruit 1372!" One of the instructors looks directly at Garth. "Is there a problem?"

"No Sir," Garth replies curtly.

"Good, keep it that way," the Instructor glares at Garth. But as soon as his back was turned Garth leans in and warns Jamie in a firm tone.

"Next time will be in private!" Garth bumps Jamie as he pushes past to go and do his own weigh in.

"Whatever," Jamie groans as he steps up and takes his place, telling himself it was time to put aside the stupid comments and concentrate on the task ahead. Much like the others, he didn't fail but didn't meet the one hundred percent mark that would be expected by the end of his course.

After that he was taken aside by the instructor and told what he specifically needs to work on and what could help him. Next it was on to run some laps and then it was lunch; a few minutes to relax and eat before their afternoon academic session would start.

"So I guess with each workout, self defense and few other sessions, we'll be paired up with different people, men and women," Maria comments as the new group of friends sits around a table at lunch.

"Oh that should be real fun if we get stuck with tweedle dee or tweedle dum," Matt utters in sarcasm, referring to Garth and Aaron.

"Those are the guys that go on to be the down and out loser cops," Tom mentions.

"Feel sorry for their TO's," Jamie remarks as he thinks about some of the cops that work at Danny's precinct and if he'd ever be paired with any of them.

"I feel sorry for their parents," Tom retorts and the group laughs.

But as the conversation drifts toward something else, Jamie looks over at another table and sees a couple that look like him and Sydney, a pretty girl with long brown hair and a young man with dirty blond hair. Affectionate behaviour was forbidden on site but despite the fact that they were keeping a respectable distance, any onlooker could tell there was something more than just an amicable friendship between them.

_I wonder if Syd will come around soon, _Jamie's mind wonders as the afternoon buzzer is heard and the new group quickly disperses, already having cemented a new study group to meet if possible on the weekend, Saturday night. _Syd won't like that, _Jamie's mind inwardly groans as he heads back to his locker and changes into his afternoon academic uniform. This was more like a police uniform without all the utility gear of course.

The afternoon academic session wasn't as physically grueling as the morning, but by the time he was getting ready to head for home, his mind and body were both exhausted from the day's events.

"See you guys tomorrow," Jamie calls out as he heads for the exit doors. For a split second as Jamie pushes through the doors, he sees Danny waiting for him and smiles. But as soon as another name is called and the person confirms, Danny's image quickly fades and he's left with no family member actually waiting for him. _Did you really think he'd be here, _Jamie's mind ponders.

"Woulda been kinda cool," he mumbles to himself as he heads for the subway stop. The ride home, much like his time at Harvard, is spent reading his textbook and trying to get a jumpstart on the few hours homework reading ahead of time.

"Hey kid that you?"

"It's me," Jamie answers as he dumps his jacket and heads into the kitchen, Henry looking up with a welcoming smile.

"Well…how'd it go?"

"I thought Harvard had a tough curriculum."

"You had a few years to get through all that…this is what seven months?"

"I think I'll need stress leave after that," Jamie lightly jokes as he nears the island and plucks a piece of roasted potato from the supper platter.

"Any problems today?"

"It was like you said…some where just regular people and others heard the name and…they were…"

"Jackasses?" Henry smirks.

"Yeah two guys in particular. Kept calling me golden boy."

"Ah don't let it phase you. They just wanna throw you off your game."

"I know," Jamie shrugs as he reaches for a glass of water.

"What's eating you?"

"Nah its…its nothing."

"Come on, what?" Henry presses.

"Its stupid…but I um…well I honestly thought Danny would be waiting for me today."

"Your brother is proud of you…he just happens to come from a long line of stubborn men," Henry quips, stating Frank's words from the day before.

"You started the trend pop," Frank retorts as he enters the kitchen. "How was today?"

"Tiring," Jamie answers in truth.

"Yeah they pull no punches."

"I get the whole being strict and preparing us for the life and such…I'll be okay."

"Course you will," Frank answers with a smile. "Any issues?"

Jamie looks at his father and pauses for a moment. He hadn't elaborated with his grandfather and figures that the stupid comments and antics today would probably just die down and be nothing to worry about. Why make a big deal of it?

"Nothing major. There's a guy in my new study named Tom Sawyer."

"How many Huck Finn jokes has he heard?" Henry pipes up.

"All of them and a few others," Jamie replies with a frown.

"Meaning?" Frank urges.

"Well he's um…he's black so had to endure a few pretty stupid comments today about not being white."

"Like to take those comment makers outside and show them a thing or two about color. Like the color their face will turn after I'm done with creeps like that," Henry hisses.

"Unfortunately as much as we try to correct behaviour like, that the seeds of prejudice are usually deep rooted. Those kind never last long which is a good thing."

"Well I hope they drop out sooner rather than later."

"Did you get their last names?" Frank wonders.

"Was trying to ignore them mostly. I just hope that when Tom is paired with either one that they'll treat him like anyone else but worry about them being rougher."

"You get me a name and I'll talk to the administrator," Frank suggests not knowing that it was the very administrator's son that Jamie would be pitted against.

"Okay I'll see if I can. Maybe it'll just die down."

"Hope so," Frank answers with a warm smile. "Okay how about supper and then you tell us who your instructors are."

The three of them settle down to dinner, Jamie telling them about his instructors and a few of the other kids that he met and befriended and what his initial weigh in numbers were and what he had to work on. After dinner, he heads to his room, wanting to talk to Sydney a bit before reading and then getting a good nights sleep; five AM coming too soon.

_"Well am glad you had a good day. I am so nervous and psyched about Friday," Sydney relates, referring to her bar exam._

"I know you'll do well. You were almost as high as me in marks," Jamie playfully boasts.

_"So are we still on for Saturday?"_

"Saturday…I uh…I might have a study group and…how about Friday? You know we could celebrate your big bar win?"

_"Sure…yeah Friday would be good."_

"Okay…see you then. Goodnight."

Jamie hangs up, wishing he could just shake the strong feelings of uncertainty that he was getting from Sydney and replace them with confirmed feelings of love and promise. But maybe with the bar certification behind her and his first week behind him, things would be smoother by weeks end. At least that's what he's hoping for.

Just before he turns out, Jamie pulls his phone and sends a quick text to Danny. _'Leg's still in tact,' _he texts with a smirk, the reference to Danny's _break a leg _comment the night before at family dinner.

_'Weeks not over kid…just keep your head up. D'_

Jamie smiles at the text, happy that Danny had at least responded and so tells himself that not all was lost with his oldest sibling and that maybe by weeks end he would exit the Police Academy and see Danny waiting for him. That somewhat comforting thought occupies his mind as he turns off the light and closes his eyes, not realizing that as soon as he would enter the building the next day, trouble would be waiting.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Okay so yes I got a bit carried away with the research of what goes on inside the PA, but once I started reading I was actually intrigued and wanted to get some real facts down so most of the instructors speech was from the web and I hope real lol…sorry if it was too many words but now that that's over, we'll focus on Jamie's life inside this new world and what he'll hafta face and survive in order to become blue. So hope you all liked this (bit nervous it was too much) so please review and put my mind at ease and stay tuned for more. Thanks so much!


	5. Betrayed?

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 5 – Betrayed?**

**A/N: **Okay so everyone…RL has taken its toll and am sorry this suffered but am back and hope you like this and thanks for understanding for the delay!

* * *

><p>Jamie looks at his alarm early the next morning and groans as it starts to beep, his fist slamming down on the top but the damage was already done.<p>

"5 AM," he huffs as he slowly rolls out of bed to get ready, needing to be on campus at six to join in some early morning training exercises along with the rest of those not living in the attached dorms. Thankful that he had made his lunch the night before, Jamie quickly gets ready, grabs his knapsack and heads for the door, telling himself he'd stop and get a breakfast sandwich along the way but that it wouldn't become the norm.

On the bus and subway ride to the police academy Jamie's mind switches between the intense curriculum starting today, making sure he always had a good breakfast and just what Garth's problem was.

_'Hey golden boy.'_

Was that to with his blond hair? His last name? Or maybe Garth was just one of those guys that didn't like anyone? Jamie nears the large building, already bustling with activity and heads through the front doors, toward the men's locker area. He offers a few hello's to a few of the fellows around him as he pulls open his locker and then takes off his jacket. Its not until he pulls on the dark navy sweat pants that he notices something very wrong; the pants which were a mandatory part of his uniform were full of holes in very conspicuous places.

"Nice ass," Garth smirks as he nears Jamie; Jamie instantly turning with a scowl.

"You did this?" Jamie states more than asks as Garth nears.

"Hey I just made a comment, it's not my fault you got…scissor happy," he laughs as slaps Jamie on the back; Jamie instantly grabbing his arm and slamming him backward.

"Is there a problem here new recruit Reagan?" One of the supervisors asks in a gruff voice as he nears them.

"Yes Sir there is. Someone has…uh…damage part of my uniform? I just found out now."

"Do you know anything about this new recruit Robinson?"

"No Sir I don't," Garth replies seriously but then offers a wide cheeky grin when the supervisor had his back turned.

"I have a spare pair Reagan on the house, next ones will cost you. Understand?"

"Yes Sir," Jamie lightly grumbles as leaves his locker and then heads for the office, gritting his teeth as he passes Garth and catches another snide comment under his breath. _What a jerk, _Jamie's mind grumbles as he waits for the instructor to get the extra clothes. "Thanks."

"Just keep your wits about you and watch your back Reagan."

"Pardon Sir? Someone broke into my locker and did this," Jamie insists.

"You have proof?"

"I wouldn't disrespect the uniform like this," Jamie replies in truth. "Trust me I have been raised to respect the institution from birth."

"Anyone else and I might have not believed right away, but I do believe you because I know the reputation of your family. But I can't show you favoritism because of it."

"I don't expect that Sir."

"Good to hear. This pair is free, everyone gets one chance. After that you pay for each pair. Understood?"

"Yes Sir. But I still think that someone tampered with my locker."

"The lockers are..."

"But we don't have our own locks."

"Bring one tomorrow and we'll see what happens. Otherwise it's hard to prove but if you can, you let me know and I'll look into it."

"Thank you," Jamie offers with a nod as he takes the dark navy sweatpants and heads back toward his locker where Garth was still waiting.

"Aww had to buy a new pair of…"

"What is your problem Garth?"

"My problem is you golden boy!" Garth snarls as he leans in closer.

"You don't even know me, we just met yesterday."

"First impression," he retorts and Jamie just shakes his head.

"Yeah well…"

"In here," Garth hisses as he leans in closer, grabs Jamie's arm and pulls him to within inches of his face, "this is my world and what I say goes."

"You're a newbie too," Jamie jerks his arm free as Tom rounds the corner and heads toward them.

"You're wrong and I will be happy to remind you of that," Garth finishes as he pulls back just as Tom nears them. "And trust me I will even if you don't want me to."

"Whatever," Jamie huffs as Garth winks at Tom as he pushes past.

"Man what is his problem?" Tom asks with a frown as he looks at Jamie and then down at his sweat pants. "What the…"

"Don't ask," Jamie groans as he quickly changes and then tosses the cut up sweat pants into the nearby trash bin. "That…idiot somehow got into my locker and cut up my pants.

"How?"

"These all have the same electronic lock right?"

"You think he broke in? But we all have different combos."

"Well I wore these yesterday and…and I don't know but I don't trust him. Tomorrow I'm gonna bring my own lock…and an extra pair of these," Jamie sighs as he waits for Tom to change and then they head for the gym where Matt and Maria were already waiting.

"So what's on the agenda for today?"

"We start defense training today," Maria informs them. "Looks like we'll be paired today Jamie."

"Really…great."

"Gee thanks," she smirks and he shrugs.

"Never been trained to hit girls."

"How about I hit you first?" She teases back.

"Well I'd rather work with Maria," Tom sighs. "I get the other half of the undynamic duo," he frowns as he comes back after reading the daily activity sheet. "Man that ain't fair."

"Guess we all hafta take turns with them," Matt comments as the instructor enters the room and they all come to stand at attention and wait for instructions.

_Great...all of them, _Jamie's mind groans as he thinks about working with Garth. Jamie listens to the instructions but his eyes also dart over to Garth who was watching him more than paying attention. _What is his problem? _Jamie's mind ponders as he searches his memory for Garth's last name; not realizing yet it was the same last name as the office administrator and Garth was right about one – this was his world. However, Garth would also learn very fast that nepotism could only get you so far – the rest would rest on personal merit and character.

"So how was that?" Maria asks as she helps Jamie stand up after their last set. "Feel better now?"

"Actually…yes," Jamie agrees just before a sound is heard and the class breaks up. "How'd it go?" Jamie asks Tom as they head for the locker room to change and then all meet back outside to have lunch and prepare for the afternoon session.

"That dude Aaron was shooting his mouth off and kept getting two of the three moves wrong," Tom replies with a groan. "Seriously he better do more than shoot his mouth off or he's not going far. I got my mojo right after the first one and that was it."

"Well Garth seems to think that just shooting his mouth off will work," Jamie mentions as he, Tom and Matt head outside for lunch.

"Why does he think he's untouchable?" Matt wonders.

"No idea," Jamie shrugs as they join up with Maria and Emma at a bench and settle in for lunch. "I guess we'll see how smart he really is in class this afternoon."

"You guys feeling okay about the law stuff?" Tom inquires.

"Yeah," Jamie offers haste.

"How come? You study in your spare time?" Emma asks.

"Something like that," Jamie shrugs not wanting to offer too much about his past training.

"Yeah? You like to go to court and watch your sister when you have a free moment?"

"Something like that," Jamie shrugs again as he continues with his lunch. "Just wanna prep for this stuff you know?"

"Fair enough," Matt replies. "But if you ace the first test you're prepping the rest of us," he smirks. The five of them continue to just talk and enjoy lunch on the pleasant fall day before it was time to head inside and get ready for the afternoon. After changing into his other uniform, Jamie heads toward class, taking a seat beside Tom and then watching as Garth and Aaron enter and take their seats right behind them.

"Okay yesterday you were given your first weigh in to see what personal benchmark you are at right now and what you have to strive to become better at. Today will be the same. I'm going to give you all a pop quiz to see what your knowledge of the law it right now."

Jamie takes his test, listens to a few more instructions before he's allowed to turn the page and scan the questions, holding back a small smirk as he finds the classic 'trick question' and answers it easily. He tries to pause so as not to show up any of the other class, especially his new friends but tells himself that his law training will make the second part of the day a bit easier for him; allowing him time to focus on perfecting the rest.

"Okay when you are done pass the test to the person behind you and they'll switch with you so you are not marking your own."

"Let's see how much you failed by Reagan," Garth snickers as he takes Jamie's paper as academic instructor Dean Atchison writes the correct answers on the board and then slowly walks around the room to ensure that everyone was marking the tests accordingly.

"Remember you are handing them in to me…so if you are covering a wrong answer for a friend I will know about it."

"Ha you fail golden boy," Garth hands Jamie's paper back with 0/25 and Jamie just shaking his head as Instructor Atchison walks up to them.

"Grow up," Jamie sighs.

"A fail? Let's see," Atchison takes the paper and then looks at the answers. "Well I see you've set the bar pretty high Reagan, perfect score. Better get your eyes checked Robinson," he pauses as he looks over Garth's answer sheet, "and brush up on your law knowledge as well your score wasn't even close."

Jamie notices Garth's face crunch up as he walks away and then feels the short blond hairs on the back of his neck stand up when Garth's eyes narrow and his fingers curl tightly around his pencil.

"You're gonna pay for that," he hisses in a hushed tone before all the students are asked to face forward once again. Jamie just offers a mumbled '_whatever_' and then tells his mind to get back to the lesson. But if Garth did have some kind of pull with a teacher or administrator how could he fight against that?

_Well I'm not about to run to dad or Danny just because I got a better score, _he reminds himself. He'd take his sweatpants home tonight, leaving virtually nothing in his locker until he got the new lock and then that would at least solve those problems. _What are we in grade 2? _His mind groans as Garth gets up at the end of class and purposely bumps into him as he's trying to write his name on the paper.

"Really perfect score?" Matt asks with a slight frown as they exit the class. "How'd you do so well?"

Jamie looks at Matt and Tom and figures that honesty would have to be the best policy. _Just downplay your grades, _his mind adds before he confesses. "I uh…went to Harvard before this."

"Yeah for how long?"

"Full law term," he replies, not knowing that Garth and Aaron were listening.

"Why on earth did you…oh grades?"

"Just wasn't for me you know…I wanna follow my father and brothers," Jamie confesses in truth with a shrug. "Today I got lucky," he tries to downplay.

"Genius in da house," Tom teases with a mock rapper dance pose.

"Whatever," Jamie smirks as the three of them head for the lockers, Maria and Emma behind them talking about something else.

"Didn't I say earlier today that you'd be helping us?" Matt smirks. "I'm gonna hold you to that."

"You know...I don't mind helping you guys," Jamie smiles. "See you tomorrow."

Jamie packs up his bag and then says goodnight to his friends and heads for the exit doors, spying Garth and Aaron heading toward the supplies area, their backs to him.

Jamie follows at a discreet distance and then hides behind a corner when they finally stop to talk.

"Ha! Golden boy sure kicked your ass in class today," Aaron teases, garnering a slap from Garth.

"That's the last time he'll make a fool outta me, you watch."

"Man the teachers mark the tests and you know you can't fix those."

_Fix the tests? What? _Jamie's mind crossly repeats as he presses himself further to the wall to get a better listening vantage point.

"I told you, this term I take top marks, no matter what."

"He went to law school stupid, how can you top that?"

"Not everything's academic stupid," Garth retorts in a cross tone. "Remember that deal I made with big brother."

_Big brother?_

"He's a Reagan…"

"So what!"

_Danny? He's…he's with these two? Did he…what? Not possible!_

But before Jamie can hear the rest, the last buzzer of the day is heard and he spies one of the janitors heading in his direction. Not wanting to make himself known, he quickly backtracks and then heads for the main exit doors; his mind now spiraling downward. But he didn't stay to hear the rest that would have exonerated Danny in his mind; instead he now heads for home with insecurity and betrayal starting to fester.

"I don't care if he's a Reagan…I told him that if he ever crossed me again, I'd make him pay."

"He's not…"

"His brother is just as good. Out there I have no chance to run into Danny again."

"Unless you shoplift."

"Shut it!"

"Just sayin'."

"Don't say it again," Garth warns and Aaron steps back with his hands up in mock surrender. "I told you…I promised him and myself that day that I would never again let a Reagan make a fool outta me. So if I can't make Danny pay out there then I'll make Jamie pay in here."

"How?"

"I think the NYPD should be short one Reagan."

"Pardon? Garth you can't kil…"

"I'm not going to kill him you moron!" Garth groans. "But you know we do have our first real physical test at the end of the week."

"So?"

"So...I somehow have this feeling Jamie's not gonna pass."

"What do you have planned?"

XXXXXXXX

Jamie slumps down onto one of the subway seats, his mind now fighting between fatigue and sorrow, his stomach tight.

_Danny wasn't happy that I am doing this…could he have talked to Garth to…make me want to drop out? Would he do that to me? _No he wouldn't, Jamie's mind argues back. _But he said he made a deal…with big brother…Reagan. What deal? They'd do something for him and in turn he'd do something for them? That something was to make my life hell in here?_

Someone laughs a few rows over and Jamie lifts his weary eyes to watch two men who looked like they could have a familial relation laughing and talking something and his mood continues to plummet as he looks away. _Why Danny? Would you do this to me? _It can't be true, his mind argues back, they are just full of piss and wind! _But what if it is? I told him I didn't break a leg and he said the week's not over._

Jamie's mind continues to swirl with unanswerable questions as he gets off the bus and then heads for his the last few blocks and then home. He wasn't about to tell Sydney any of this as he knows she'll just remind him that this isn't for him, come back to his senses and there was still time to study for the bar.

He pushes the door open, hoping for the first time that the house would be empty and he could just escape to his room without a myriad of questions.

"Jamie, hey kid is that you?" Henry asks in haste as he hears the front door open and then close.

"Yeah," Jamie replies rather glumly as he hangs up his jacket.

"Supper is…"

"Thanks grandpa but I'm not hungry," Jamie offers a weak smile to his grandfather before he turns and heads for his room, disappearing inside and then closing the door; literally collapsing on the bed as a wave of sorrow and uncertainty now wash over him. Frank appearing and garnering only a shrug in return from Henry. Jamie's momentary high on acing his first spot law exam was quickly doused by the supposed knowledge that Danny wasn't on his side.

_I'm alone in this now…_ Jamie's mind acknowledges sadly as he closes his eyes and prays for the week to end quickly; that prayer wouldn't be answered.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** So will Danny find out what's going on? What will it take for Jamie to open up? Will Jamie actually confront Danny causing a bit more friction to grow? And will Garth make good on his promise to Aaron to sabotage Jamie's week end physical test? Hope you are all still liking it and please leave me a review before you go and thanks so much!


	6. Watch Your Back!

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 6 – Watch Your Back!**

**A/N: **Okay guys sorry if some of you got the wrong impression…BUT Danny and Garth aren't actually working together to try to make things difficult for Jamie (Danny is a Reagan and would never betray family like that). Remember I mentioned that Garth had a run in with Danny at the end of chapter 3 (more details will come on that later) and then in chapter 5 Jamie only heard part of what Garth said to Danny – so yeah they're not together but I don't want to say much more b/c it'll ruin the story so stay tuned and for those that got thanks lol you put my mind at ease! Okay on with the story!

* * *

><p>"Got a sec?" Frank asks softly as he knocks on Jamie's door, drawing his youngest son's gaze upward.<p>

"Yeah sure…just studying."

"Didn't think the law component would be an issue," Frank frowns as he eases himself on the edge of Jamie's bed and grabs Jamie's closest textbook and looks at it.

"Just wanna keep on top of things," Jamie replies with a shrug.

"Everything okay? You hardly ate anything at dinner. Now I know pop's pot roast is…"

"No it's okay…just a long day you know," Jamie answers in haste. "Just not hungry."

"The course is pretty intense Jamie, you gotta keep up your strength."

"Just a tough first day but um…I aced my first law quiz."

"That's my boy," Frank offers Jamie a somewhat tense smile, his instincts telling him that Jamie wasn't being entirely truthful. "You know if there are things in there…"

"Just some talk about the name and stuff," Jamie tries to act nonchalantly.

"Jamie…"

"Dad really…it's no big deal," he lies outrightly. "I'll be okay."

"Okay," Frank nods as he prepares to stand up.

"Dad."

"Yeah?"

"Think um…that Danny will ever come around?"

"He's already on your side Jamie," Frank tries to assure his youngest. "No matter what, Danny will be proud of you."

"Think he'd um…you know what me to drop out?"

"He'd want you to do what you want to do."

"Okay thanks."

"Goodnight son."

"Night."

Jamie watches his father leave and then looks down at his text book before he picks it up and tries to get back to his reading. But all he can focus on is the possibility that Danny might have made some kind of deal with Garth to get him to buckle under pressure and drop out.

_Would Danny really do that to me? _Jamie's mind ponders as he looks over at the clock and realizes that his leftover time to study was rendered moot; his mind not even near to concentrating on the legal subjects assigned. He leans back on the bed and tries to gauge what would happen if he did confront Danny with the knowledge of the so called deal.

"I'm not gonna quit Danny," Jamie insists as he cleans up his books and then starts to get ready for bed. He climbs into bed but unlike the night before this time his mind shows images of Danny laughing at him while he leaves the Police Academy; another has Danny saying 'I told you so' and then Garth agreeing as they both laugh and then one has Danny just walking away in disappointment.

By the time morning comes, Jamie's mind is more agitated, the supposed restful sleep having no effect at all.

"Morning sleepyhead," Henry greets Jamie with a small smile.

"You're up early."

"Old people don't sleep," Henry quips as he fills up Jamie's travel mug with steaming hot coffee. "Feeling better?"

"Ah yesterday I was just tired you know…first real day of training."

"You're gonna do fine, you know that right?"

"I know," Jamie replies with a weak smile, asking about breakfast and changing the subject before his grandfather could press for more details about why he wasn't that hungry or even friendly the night before. Breakfast ends on time, and Jamie quickly packs up and is about to escape out the front door, when a knock is heard and he opens it in haste.

"Hey kid," Danny greets Jamie with a placid expression.

"Hey," Jamie nods as he pushes past him.

"Well nice to see you too," Danny calls out, making Jamie pause and look back with a frown.

"I'm not gonna quit Danny…"

"Quit what?" Danny asks in genuine confusion.

"You know what."

"If I did, I wouldn't ask," Danny shrugs.

"Whatever," Jamie retorts as he turns and heads down the street for the bus stop.

"What the heck was that all about?"

"Oh your brother is under the impression you don't approve of his new career choice," Frank's voice is heard as he enters the room.

"I told him to go for it," Danny replies in haste.

"Not really the same as telling your youngest sibling…one that looks up to you I might add…that you are proud of him and have his back no matter what."

"He knows that," Danny shrugs.

"Oh right…because he's also a mind reader," Frank smirks. "Forgot how easily that trait runs in the family."

"Look what do you want me to do? Huh? Tell him he's gonna ace it when I don't know that for sure?"

"Not gonna tell you what to say Danny," Frank answers with a firm tone. "He's your brother…you'll figure it out."

"Did he say something?"

"Did he have to?" Frank retorts and Danny just rolls his eyes as he looks over at Henry.

"Don't look at me…where do you think he learned it?"

"Thanks pop," Frank frowns as he turns back to Danny. "Okay so what's up?"

Danny starts into the real reason he came to see his father but part of his mind now was pondering Jamie's cold and standoffish attitude this morning. _It's not like I told him he'd suck at it, _Danny's mind tries to reason. _You didn't exactly sing his praises, _his voice of reason argues back.

XXXXXXXX

Jamie arrives at the Academy with a gloomy disposition; but at the same time thankful that he didn't leave anything in his locker the night before as this morning when he open his locker nothing is damaged. He pulls out the new lock and then starts to reenter stuff into the metal box when he hears a finger tapping on the door and pauses to look around the open door.

It was Garth, merely tapping his locker as he moved past but didn't say a word. "Whatever," Jamie mutters as he continues his task, Tom walking up to him.

"Morning…ah I see your in tact today."

"With a new lock as well. Now if this is broken into…with cutters I'll know and so will the instructors," Jamie adds with a louder tone.

"Your own fault you can't keep yourself in check Reagan!" Garth sneers in return from a few lockers down, hovering around Aaron's. "But must be nice to be the little teachers pet around here…getting special favors and all," Garth laughs.

"Is he for real?" Jamie groans.

"Pay him no heed…so didja study last night?"

"A little. You?"

"I paid my older brother to pretend to be a burglar so I could practice some law stuff on him," Tom smirks. "Hey I guess yours could do that for free right? Sure must be nice to have him to turn to for help and such."

"Well I uh…I kinda wanna do this on my own you know?"

"Sure I get it," Tom shrugs. "But still when it comes down to test time, you'll be happy he's there right?"

"Yeah," Jamie nods weakly, knowing that after yesterday Danny would be the last person he'd turn to for help. _He'd probably mock all my mistakes anyways, _Jamie's mind laments in sorrow as he and Tom head for the gymnasium. Much like the day before, today they'd be starting out the day doing a warm up and then some practice drills.

"I guess we'll be partners all week," Maria mentions as she walks up to Jamie.

"Fine by me. I feel sorry for Tom though," Jamie nods in the direction of his friend who was merely giving Aaron an eye roll at yet another stupid comment.

"Those two think they are untouchable."

"Yeah…why is that?" Jamie wonders.

"Guess you're not the only one whose father has some pull with the NYPD," Maria shrugs, garnering a surprised glance from Jamie. But before Jamie can qualify her comment, the whistle is heard and the day is officially started – all frivolous discussions on hold until lunch.

"Hey I'll catch up with you guys," Jamie tells Tom and Matt after they had changed into something casual to have lunch before having to redress in the afternoon uniform. Jamie heads for one of the private lockers, pulls his phone and then starts to type in Garth's full name.

_Garth Robinson,_ Jamie's mind mulls as his fingers slowly move downward on the LCD until he finds the text heading he wants and then opens it. But it doesn't say much so before he uses too much of his lunch hour he quickly texts his grandfather and then heads outside to join his friends; taking advantage of another fair lunch hour before the rainy and cold fall and winter would come. The group talks a bit more about their homework the night before and just before lunch hour is to conclude Jamie's phone buzzes; his fingers quick to open it.

_'Garth's father is Darryl Robinson, the Academy's Administor.' _

"Great," Jaime groans, drawing a wondering glance from Tom.

"Bad news?"

"Phone bill's due," Jamie smirks, garnering a response of nods of understanding.

"Yeah sadly life still goes on out there while we're in here. You got a part time job also?" Tom inquires.

"I start next week. Nothing much but at least it'll help with some of the cost."

"You paid for Harvard and this?"

"Why do you think I need to work," Jamie retorts as they head back inside; the girls heading to their locker rooms to get changed and rejoin them in the classroom.

"I hear ya on that," Matt agrees. "I had to work full time solid for an entire year to pay for this. My mom's by herself so I knew I couldn't ask her you know. But it's all good."

"What about you Tom?"

"My dad helped a bit but he also said I gotta pay for the bulk of this course; so I better do well."

"We all will," Jaime adds confidently as they enter the classroom.

"Even them?" Tom nods with a small sarcastic retort.

"Yeah…who knows," Jamie answers as he looks at Garth who merely sneers back.

_So his father is the administrator of this place and he has something going on with Danny? _Jamie's mind ponders falsely as he sits down in front of Garth.

"Ready to show up the rest of class Mr. Goody Two Shoes?"

"Depends…you ready to fail again?" Jamie counters, earning himself a small kick to the leg. "Yeah mature," he mutters under his breath but doesn't turn around. The class this time didn't include a quiz but they did have to participate in an active discussion based on their homework from the night before; that also counted for marks because it showed just how much you really were paying attention.

Jamie looks over at Garth who was at least giving off the guise of trying to pay attention. _If he doesn't want to be here…why is he? Just to give others a hard time? How many times has he done this?_

"See you tomorrow Jamie," Tom calls out as he parts ways with his friend and then heads for the subway stop, thankful that Garth was held back by the academic instructor on an issue in class. Thankfully his locker would be safe from anyone unless they cut it, which of course would be proof enough that it was being tampered with.

"Eat, study and call Syd," Jamie utters as he leans back on one of the subway seats. But as he nears his stop, his mind now wonders what Sunday dinner would be like, especially around his brother. Strained would be an understatement.

"Jamie that you?"

"Yeah its me."

"Sounds like you had a better day," Henry observes.

"Actually I did. I think maybe the stupidity from Garth and Aaron is starting to die down a bit," Jamie utters fatefully. "So maybe they saw they couldn't get the reaction they wanted and that'll be it."

"And what about your other friends…Tom, you said they were picking on him also?"

"He was paired with one of them for most of the week and has kicked his as…butt," Jamie pauses with a smirk, "so maybe they learned to leave all of us alone."

"Well I for one am glad to hear it. So what's up for the rest of the week?"

"We have our first physical exam on Friday so one more day to just practice some of my moves and then…well at least it's not a pass or fail thing this one…just to see how much we have improved in a week."

"You should ace it kid," Henry smiles. "Did you talk to Danny this morning?"

"Just briefly," Jamie shrugs. "Maybe on Sunday when he sees I won't quit things will be better."

"Danny thinks you're going to quit? He said that?"

"Not in so many words," Jamie replies in truth, not wanting to mention anything about what he overheard about Garth and Danny's deal.

"Well whatever attitude your brother gives off, you know he's still part of this family and that means a lot."

_Maybe not so much as we all think, _Jamie's mind laments as he merely gives his grandfather a nod and then quickly changes the subject.

XXXXXXXX

"So you still set to celebrate Friday night?" Jamie asks Sydney as he sits in his room a few hours after supper but just before bed.

_"Yeah sure that should be fine. How's school coming…wow sounds so odd to be asking how's that going again?"_

"I know…homework, early mornings…thought I had been done with all that too," Jamie smirks with a lighthearted tone.

_"Right well I won't say I told you so," Sydney offers with a small smirk of her own. "You sure you won't be to tired Friday night?"_

"I have my first physical exam Friday morning but it should be fine, I did well the first time," Jamie states confidently. "And I aced my first law quiz."

_"Well if you didn't then something would be wrong. Jamie hold on a sec I got another call. I gotta run, one last study group tomorrow before the big day and I hafta email some stuff out."_

"Okay well see you Friday."

_"Okay see you then."_

"Love you."

_"Yeah me too. Bye."_

Jamie hangs up with a less than enthusiastic feeling, reaching for a book and forcing himself to try to study for at least an hour to clear away the melancholy feelings that were creeping up on him now. But unlike the night before, this night was a bit more rested than the night before prompting Jamie to get up with a bit more of a spring in his step, as he helps to make breakfast, eat with his grandfather and then head out the door in a better mood than the previous morning.

"Ah someone's happy this morning. You and your fiancé get a little busy this morning?" Tom smirks, Garth's teeth gritting.

"You know I don't kiss and tell."

"Do you guys share the same razor in the morning?" Garth snickers as another new recruit nears.

"You'd have a problem if they did?" He asks gruffly and Garth backs down. "Yeah keep your stupid comments to yourself Robinson."

Garth narrows his gaze at Jamie before turning back to Aaron with an angry expression. "After class can't come soon enough. Reagan's gonna pay."

Jamie watches Garth and Aaron leave but pays them no heed, only goes back to talking to Tom and Matt before the rejoin Maria and Emma to get the day officially started.

"Tomorrow's the first real physical exam. So get some solid rest tonight, don't drink and come to class ready to pass! Dismissed."

"Am nervous already," Maria admits.

"You've done fine all week," Jamie answers with a small shrug.

"Are you nervous?"

"Sure," Jamie retorts and the small group chuckles. Lunch time is spent just talking about the afternoon session and the first class scenario they were gonna have to take part in; something Jamie wasn't too worried about after having spent a good part of his last year at Harvard taking part in practical demonstrations.

Once again Garth was kept in check by the instructor but still fell into the pattern from the day before of not adding much in the way of intelligent input and getting more and more frustrated when the instructor would ask Jamie specifically on certain things the rest of the class struggled with.

"Okay this Saturday's study class is gonna be working on law so that we can all catch up to Jamie," Tom playfully punches him.

"He went to Harvard…how long to you plan to study genius?" Matt retorts with a smile.

"How about I quiz you all and we'll be even?" Jamie adds with his own smile just as they near his locker. He sees a small note sticking out and quickly reaches for it.

"Love letter?" Matt quips.

"No I left a textbook in the library. See you guys tomorrow."

Jamie quickly changes and then puts the rest of his stuff into his locker, thankful that Garth and Aaron had already left; either that or are still behind in class, he wrongly assumes. He nods to a few students leaving the building as he heads further into it; mumbling a few goodbyes as well.

Jamie enters the quiet library and heads for the main desk where he assumes his book will be waiting. But upon arriving at the desk he finds it empty and frowns.

"Maybe it was the wrong locker," Jamie huffs as he turns to leave, but just before he reaches the door, he hears something down an aisle and goes to investigate. He sees someone with his back to him at the end and heads for them.

"Hey…is there a book…for…" Jamie's voice dies out as Garth turns around with a big smile.

"Hey golden boy."

"You? Whatever," Jamie groans as he turns to leave. But before he can, he's grabbed from behind, Aaron yanking his arms behind his back, his backpack falling to the floor. "Hey! Let…go…" Jamie struggles in vain as Garth leans in closer.

"Aww who's gonna save you now Reagan?" Garth mocks as he pulls out a roll of duct tape.

"What?" Jamie's blue eyes widen in fear and panic.

"Just a little extra insurance," Garth snickers.

"What the hell? Garth don't do thi…" is all Jamie manages before a piece is ripped off and pressed down over his mouth to keep him quiet; his frame still trying in vain to pull free in Aaron's grasp. _Garth…no…don't do this! _He mumbles in vain as Garth pulls out a black bag that looks like it's filled with – something.

"I'm gonna enjoy this," he sneers as he readies the bag. "This is for big brother," he winks before he takes the first swing, Jamie's mind exploding with instant shock. _Danny? What?_

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Okay so remember Garth thinks he's getting back at Danny by hurting Jamie so him saying 'this is for big brother'… is Jamie's misunderstanding and not that Danny and Garth are working together! lol sorry just wanted that to be clear.

So how is Jamie gonna fare after the attack? What will family dinner be like Sunday night? Will his dinner Sydney still happen? And what tension will foster between the brothers leading to what? Hope you are all still with me and please review before you go and thanks in advance!


	7. Tension Brewing

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 7 – Tension Brewing**

**A/N: **Thanks so much for all the amazing reviews! Seriously energized us to write this faster!

* * *

><p>Jamie's lips utter an instant grunt under the tape gag as the dark weighted sag connects with his stomach, forcing him to double forward in Aaron's grasp as Garth stands back with a snicker. <em>Danny…why…<em>Jamie inwardly moans as Aaron painfully forces him back upright once more and holds him in place as Garth prepares for another hit.

"Not so tough are ya Reagan?" Garth hisses as he hits Jamie again, the solid objects in the bag pummeling his chest while his heart races toward critical. It wasn't stones…nothing sharp…firm oranges? Like what they do in an illegal hazing scenario? They weren't intended to break anything, just bruise and force the person on the receiving end to feel the pain and be hindered the next day – especially from anything strenuous or physical.

"Hope you ace your physical exam tomorrow," Garth mocks as he hits Jamie again. Jamie's eyes slightly water as his lungs struggle for air through his nose; his face flushed and heart about to give way.

"Not like you didn't have this coming!" Garth taunts as he hits Jamie once more, Jamie's frame sagging in Aaron's grasp.

"Come on man…he's done," Aaron groans as he struggles to keep Jamie upright. By the fifth hit Jamie's body just accepts the pummeling objects and is merely allowed to sag to the floor, his hand not even having the strength to remove the tape from his mouth to give himself a few more breaths of air to alleviate some of the pain from his heaving lungs.

"Now you listen and you listen good golden boy," Garth kneels down and growls close to Jamie's face. "I don't care who you are but you are not gonna take top honors this intake… you hear me? This was a warning…keep it up and you'll be watching your back every second for the next seven months! Let's go," Garth sneers as he stands up and heads for the exit doors, leaving Jamie on the floor in a painful, gasping heap.

Jamie's fingers finally reach up and yank the tape from his mouth, his fingers angrily balling up the tape and tossing it aside.

"Damn…you Garth," he gasps as he tries to sit upright; his mind racing with thoughts of being found. Who could he tell? No one saw and the library wasn't monitored with camera's as least not in this area – Garth had planned it perfectly. It would come down to he said – he said; a fruitless battle of words that neither would win.

"Bastard…ahhh," Jamie groans as he rests for a few more minutes before wrapping his right arm around his chest and pushing himself up to his knees, biting back another painful wince as he finally hears a noise at the other end of the library.

_Danny…did he really get Garth to do this? Would he go this far? _As much as Jamie's mind wants to find an argument to refute that line of thinking, he can't help but think back to the text about him not breaking a leg and Danny replying the week wasn't over yet. _Did he know this was coming by the end of the week? Is that why he said that? To see if I could take it and give up? So he could say I told you so? Really Danny?_

Jamie's mind spirals into sorrow as he utters another painful gasp upon standing upright and trying to sling his backpack over his shoulder. He zips up his jacket, his heart pounding heavily against his bruised ribcage and heads for the nearest exit door and then toward the campus entrance that would take him toward the subway.

He closes his eyes momentarily as the subway starts for home, his eyes then squeezing shut as he pictures Danny's laughing face back in the library, standing over his throbbing frame and whispering _'I told you so Harvard.' _Jamie opens his eyes and shakes his head, his body trying to shift to a better place to offer some relief for his ribs. Would he even pass the physical tomorrow? He could hardly breath now, how on earth was he supposed to do all that running, lifting and pushing his own weight if he could hardly sit still and breathe?

His fingers snake up under his jacket, applying a bit of pressure against his ribs and then pulling back when he utters a gasp audible enough to draw some stares in his direction. He gives the inquiring old woman a small smile and then quickly looks down at his phone, pretending to type a message; hoping when he looks up the attention will be gone. The rouse, thankfully works.

"Jamie that you?"

"Yeah…it's me," Jamie answers Henry as he enters. But instead of waiting for his grandfather to make a verbal pounce, he quickly heads for the bathroom, wanting to survey the damage Garth had inflicted. He slowly takes off his jacket, biting back another wince and then lifts his sweater and gazes miserably at the dark bruises now marring his smooth, somewhat pale skin.

"Damn you Danny…" Jamie curses as he looks away, his eyes wanting to water at the mere horrifying thought that his brother could possibly be responsible for inflicting this kind of pain. _It wasn't Danny! _His mind tries to argue back, a small voice vying for the truth to be heard.

"I'm not gonna quit…I'm not," Jamie mutters to himself as he quickly wipes his eyes and drops his sweater to cover his chest and then heads out of the bathroom, dumps his stuff into his room and heads for the kitchen; his mind wondering what the weekend would bring.

"There he is," Henry greets Jamie with a bright smile. "Nature called?"

"It did," Jamie answers weakly. "Smells good…what is it?"

"Chicken pot pie and before you…."

Jamie listens to Henry's explanation rattle off, offering his grandfather a small smile and thankful that his agitation was starting to somewhat subside. But his stomach was on fire, chest throbbing and mind racing at what tomorrow would actually hold for him and the test? And after that his evening with Sydney. _This is no way I can tell her this…she'll just say I told you so and badger me about choosing a safer profession._

"Jamie? Sorry kid I lost ya there," Henry's voice brings Jamie back to reality.

"Big physical exam tomorrow."

"Ah don't worry…you'll pass with flying colors," Henry states proudly.

"Hopefully," Jamie replies and then changes the subject. Even when Frank came home, Jamie did his best to bite back any painful wince and deflect the slightest attention away from himself, talking about school, Syd's bar exam and the weekend.

Sleeping was another story as Jamie's ribs would connect oddly with the bed when he flipped onto either side, painfully sending him back to his back which wouldn't want to cooperate for the duration of the evening; thus ensuring his sleep was fitful and when he woke up he wasn't rested or feeling better at all.

"I wonder if I can call in sick today," Jamie groans as he slowly sits upright. _'Ha ha told you so golden boy,' _Garth's taunt rings in his ears as he stands up and heads for the bathroom. "I'm not gonna quit," Jamie tells himself once more as he slowly gets ready for the day. He hurries toward the kitchen, grabs a few breakfast bars and then is out the door before his grandfather can greet him.

"Morning Reagan," the instructor greets Jamie with a smile; Jamie having gotten into the locker room thankfully before Garth or anyone else.

"Morning," Jamie merely grunts in return, making Instructor James Danton stop in his tracks and then turn to look at Jamie.

"Not as cheery as yesterday. Wanna talk about it?"

"I'm okay," Jamie utters in haste, drawing an arched glanced from the seasoned veteran.

"One of the things this job has taught me over the past twenty years or so is how to read facial expressions and verbal tones and to know when someone isn't being completely honest."

"Everything's okay. Just a bit tired and um…nervous about today. It's okay…really," Jamie offers weakly, praying his heart rate would lower so that his brain could try to function normally and not betray his real feelings.

"Jamie you know if there is anything…"

"No really, everything's fine," Jamie insists as he sees Garth enter and head their way. "Thanks."

"Right…carry on then," Danton nods as he heads past Jamie. But instead of heading into his office and closing the door, he waits around the corner, having noticed Jamie bristle when Garth Robinson walked past.

"Aww how's the little teachers pet this morning?" Garth taunts as he nears Jamie; Jamie not answering back. "Hey I'm talking to you Reagan."

"Look I might not be able to prove it was you yesterday but don't think I haven't told anyone what you did," Jamie bluffs.

"Your word against mine and in this place…who do you think the _administrator_ is gonna believe. You?" Garth retorts, puling his familial clout into the picture. Danton hears the taunt and narrows his eyes, but unless Jamie was willing to tell him what happened, he couldn't ask Garth what it was all about, knowing the Robinson's all too well. But if it was true, then this wouldn't be the first complaint lodged against the biased Administrator's bully-like son. He'd have to keep an eye on things from now on.

"My father could fire yours at any time…who do you think he'd believe?"

"Oh well then run to daddy like a little baby and say you couldn't make it," Garth snickers. "Just remember what I said," he leaves Jamie to ponder as he turns and heads for his locker.

Jamie feels his fists tighten at his sides but knows to keep himself in check, for if he went to Garth right now and picked a fight, he'd be the one with the mark on his file and Garth Robinson wasn't worth it. Tom and Matt come in, thankfully their chatter changes the mental subject but even still…as they all change and then head into the large gymnasium, Jamie's anxiety boils; nearly reaching the exploding point.

"Hey man you okay? You look green," Tom comments as they take their place in line.

"Yeah not feeling that well. I'll be okay," Jamie tries to assure his friend.

Danton calls a few to come up and start their exam's, Garth being one of them; wanting to have him done and out of the room so that Jamie could concentrate. He could tell by the look on Jamie's face that something more than few verbal slurs was bothering the youngest Reagan, but what? His performance would soon reveal a big part of the story.

Jamie's chest starts to burn as soon as he starts into his bench pressing, his eyes watering near the end of the set but his brain yelling at him to keep going; suck up the pain and just keep going. The rest of the activities were just as painful so that when Jamie is finally finished his set, he wants nothing more than to find somewhere to just lay down and sleep the rest of the day away.

"Reagan," Danton comes up to him with a concerned expression. "Just above a pass today, what happened?"

"Sorry Sir…I uh…just not feeling that well," he replies with a few short gasps. "I'll do better next time, I promise."

"A couple more mere passes and…"

"I swear next time will be better."

"Are you…"

"Yeah I'm fine."

"Okay you can go outside and wait until the rest of the exam is over."

Jamie nods and then slowly heads for the door, small beads of sweat still running down his back and chest, his head slightly pounding.

"So dija fail Reagan?" Garth snickers from the corner, getting a few heads to turn.

"No. Did you?" Jamie retorts with proud tone, wanting his tormentor to think he passed with a better score than he did; Garth cursing himself for not doing more damage, wanting Jamie to fail. But in Jamie's mind it was a fail and Garth was at least somewhat successful. _A pass only? I should have aced this! _Damn you Garth, Jamie's mind curses as he heads for the locker room. But once inside, he hurries for the nearest stall and throws up, before closing the toilet lid and just resting his heaving chest.

"Jamie…man you okay?" Tom asks in concern, having followed right after him.

"Musta been something I ate," Jamie lies, not wanting to say his stomach was still tight from the attack the night before. "Just give me a sec okay?"

"Sure man take your time."

Jamie closes his eyes and shakes his head in angry futility. _A pass…is that all you could manage? _He hears Danny's taunting voice falsely playing out in his mind. _Told ya you'd never make it…leave the real policing to me. _"No…" Jamie shakes his head once more and then stops, feeling his stomach wanting to lurch. "Not gonna quit."

Jamie quickly pulls himself together, takes a few strained breaths and then heads outside to see Tom and Matt waiting in expectation. "Guys I'm okay, really…just something I ate last night I think."

"Good thing the rest of the day is easy."

Jamie merely nods knowing that it wasn't the rest of his working day that he was now dreading, but the night with Sydney ahead. He felt like crap and knew he wasn't about to even think about suggesting they find a nearby hotel room as he wasn't in any kind of condition to be satisfying sexual favors. _She sees the bruises and I'm done for…_his mind ponders as he thinks of an excuse to cancel. _But if she passes, she'll wanna celebrate and if you cancel she'll be just as angry_, his brain reminds him – leaving him between a rock and a hard place literally. _Just go for dinner and say you hafta work early Saturday morning, _he finally ponders a plausible idea.

Thankfully for him Garth was kept busy the rest of the day, much like was, the rest of the morning, getting an idea of the new moves they'd be learning the following week and the afternoon spent working on a few real world scenarios.

"Okay so we still on for the study group tomorrow night?" Tom asks Jamie in concern.

"You know…I think I'm just gonna rest this weekend. My stomach is still acting up you know? Sorry guys."

"Nah man you looked really out of it this morning. Rest up and we'll see you on Monday."

Hating to let them down, but feeling his entire frame just begging for some solid relaxation, Jamie offers a thankful nod and then heads for the exit doors with his friends, promising them that next Saturday he'd join them at the study location. Jamie reaches the subway just as his phone buzzes to life and he's quick to answer the call.

_"I passed…was there a doubt?" Sydney's voice brags with a happy tone. "The only thing not great about today is that you aren't here at my side."_

"Yeah I know," Jamie sighs as he leans back on the subway bench. "Congrats but um….yeah I knew you'd do it. So about tonight…Syd it has to be an early night okay? I hafta work in the morning."

_"Aww really? But it's Friday night. Don't you feel like you know…partying a bit after a tough week?"_

Jamie feels his stomach tighten a bit and his ribs knit and he silently curses Garth's name once more. _I just wanna sleep all weekend, _he inwardly groans.

"I need the money you know," Jamie replies lamely, instantly picking up the disappointment in his voice. "Or we could wait and celebrate properly next weekend? I don't work Saturday."

_"Yeah but I passed today. I guess an early night will hafta do."_

Jamie cements the rest of his plans but by the time he reaches home to change, his mood still hadn't lifted; the near fail at Garth's hands was still weighing heavily on his mind. He quickly changes, tells Henry where he's off to and then heads out the door to meet up with Sydney at a trendy Manhattan restaurant. However when he arrives, much to his surprise and dismay, there are a few others; all whom had also passed their exam that very same day.

"They wanted to join in…hope you don't mind," Sydney whispers as she plants a small kiss on Jamie's ear.

"Yeah no problem," Jamie bites back his disappointment in not being able to talk to his fiancé alone and tell her about his week – well most of it. However the others keep Sydney distracted from the small winces his shifting in the booth would offer and keep the questions about him not having a drink to a minimum.

"So Jamie…what's it like being back at the beginning?" One of them suddenly asks Jamie, bringing the other conversations to a dead halt.

"Interesting. But I'm liking it so far and…"

"So can we call you officer Reagan?" Another teases.

"Oh Jamie's not an officer yet…he's still a new recruit," Sydney pipes up, much to Jamie's dismay.

"I'm really enjoying it so far. In fact…"

"Gosh can't imagine the pay," the first fellow rudely interrupts. "You'll hafta drive…"

"A regular car," the other snickers and few of them laugh, Sydney included.

"Actually my brother Joe had…"

"Hey did you hear Brian just got one of those new Audi R8's? Talk about a sweet ride. Silver of course and has…" the other man's voice trails off as Jamie just looks at them with a small frown, already missing the friendly, down to earth banter from Tom and Matt; not really enjoying the snobbish interruptions Sydney's new money-hungry friends were digesting.

The next few hours pass by with miserable slowness and instead of feeling elation for his fiancé's high parked pass, all he wants to do is get home and sleep, his body begging for a reprieve.

"You were so quiet tonight," Sydney comments as they walk arm and arm to her waiting car.

"Tired I guess…plus I wasn't much into what those guys were talking about. Seemed more like bragging to me."

"Jake was offered…"

"Yeah I heard. So he's gonna make a hundred grand, so what…he doesn't seem like he has any moral character."

"Oh and the poor saps you go to school with have more?"

"That's a low blow," Jamie retorts angrily as he stops them walking and looks at her directly. "Are you ashamed of me now because I chose a more honorable, less profitable profession?"

"More honorable? To you maybe. I say it's more dangerous, but you don't care what I have to say so…"

"That's not true."

"Then drop out now and take the bar next week. You know you'll pass."

"So I can end up like Jake? Selling my soul to the highest bidder so I can make six figures and drive a fancy sports car? To me that smacks of a very shallow person Sydney and I would really like to aspire to something more; like the rest of my family."

"Or dead like your brother Joe?"

"Are you seriously gonna bring that up every time? I know he's dead!" Jamie hisses as he pulls back and takes a deep breath. "Sorry but um…I thought it was just gonna be us tonight and you show up with people that spent most of the night making fun of me…and you? You just sat there and either listened or added to it. You didn't even try to defend me."

"First off I didn't expect them to come tonight…but they just badgered me and…what was I supposed to say?"

"You had a date with your fiancé? No maybe? Don't I still count for something?"

"Maybe if you had been there today instead of…"

"Jake?" Jamie interjects. "Really? Thanks a lot."

"Jamie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

"I think you did. Are you ashamed of me? Because if you are then maybe we're heading in the wrong direction."

"Ashamed? No. But honestly…disappointed in your career choice? Yes."

"Right."

"But I'm trying okay. I mean we worked together for four years to get to today…"

"And I wasn't there. I get that okay?" Jamie groans as he shakes his head. "Stop with the guilt already. I'm not going back."

"Okay, fine."

The two f them stand fixed in place for a few minutes before Jamie knows its best to just leave, call it a night before things progress to more strained position. "I uh…should get going. Early morning and all," he lightly lies, wanting just to escape and get home to sleep.

"Yeah goodnight," Sydney offers weakly as she leans in and lightly kisses him on the lips before pulling back and heading to her car. Jamie watches her pull away and utters an angry curse before he turns and heads for the subway and then home. But given the day's very trying and tiring events, Jamie merely falls onto his bed and is out cold until the next morning.

Saturday was spent as he had originally planned, resting and studying, the bruises on his chest a bit darker and a bit more painful to the touch and his mind doing anything it could to deflect the pain from any kind of movement. He has lunch at the library, happy for a bit of fresh air and change of venue but supper he has with his father and grandfather, telling them about the week and quickly passing by his near miss on the physical exam and then telling them about his rather strained evening with Sydney and her new friends.

"They were just as bunch of arrogant jerks," Jamie groans as he lingers in the living room with his father about an hour after supper. "And once again we parted on strained terms."

"She had built up the two of you passing with top marks together and yesterday she did it alone. I guess she wasn't able to swallow her bitterness. Jamie I'm sorry."

"But she didn't defend me either…sometimes it seemed like she was on their side against me. I just don't know what she wants anymore."

"I can't make that decision for you Jamie but I'm sorry to hear that she's not as supportive as you'd wanted her to be."

"She hasn't asked me any thing about my week…hardly shows interest in any of the cases I'm working in class…yeah I know I'm just rambling now."

"I don't mind," Frank warmly reminds his son.

Frank and Jamie talk a bit longer before its time to call it a night, Jamie happily heading to bed and hoping the night ahead is as solid as the night before. But as he starts to think now about facing Danny at family dinner, his mind is once again alert and his agitation on high. That tense inner feeling sadly keeps him awake most of the night, carrying on well into the next morning.

"Something smells good," Erin enters the kitchen with a smile, giving Jamie a hug before continuing on to see what Henry was making for their weekly family Sunday dinner. Jamie hears his nephew's laughter as his brother's family enters the Reagan home and instantly his stomach seizes. _Just play it calm and get through dinner…_his brain reminds him as he looks up to see Danny and Linda enter the kitchen area.

Jamie nods to Danny before taking something to the dining room, Danny watching his brother's hasty retreat before he turns and looks at Frank who merely shrugs and then gestures with his head for Danny to go after Jamie – which he does.

"Hey kid…" Danny enters the dining room where just he and his brother were.

"Hey," Jamie replies stiffly as he places the salad down in its place and then heads back to the kitchen; Danny instantly standing in his path. Jamie looks at Danny with a frown before he tries to move past, Danny blocking his move. "Move," Jamie lightly commands and Danny looks at him in shock.

"Jamie…" Danny's hand grabs Jamie by the arm. But his fingers apply a bit too much pressure to the same place that Aarons arms had done on Friday and notices that Jamie quickly pulls back with a wince. "What that hurt? What's going on?" Danny asks directly, his eyes locking with his brothers, demanding an explanation.

"Nothing."

"You're lying to me and I hate lying. Now tell me right now," Danny presses a bit more, "what is going on with you?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Okay so must apologize if this chappy was too long. My dear muse Alice got carried away with a few details but we hope you liked it. So yeah tensions still straining with Sydney as to be expected. So will Jamie cave and tell Danny all? Or will he lie to save face? And what will dinner and the rest of the night be like? Hope you are all still liking this and please do review before you go; you know they fuel us to update faster! :)


	8. Another Pleasant Valley Sunday?

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 8 – Another Pleasant Valley Sunday?**

**A/N:** Fanfic alert system isn't working. So if you are reading this update but didn't get the alert the alert is coming - its delayed. I have not reposted so you didn't miss anything. If you are getting the alert now and reading it, sorry this was updated Thursday. *sigh* lame site at times! Kudos to those of you keen enough to check my page. Okay enjoy!

* * *

><p>Jamie looks at Danny and feels his insides literally quiver and his heart rate elevate. Is this what a suspect feels when being confronted by the efficient eldest Reagan? If so, Danny could accuse him of robbing a bank right now and Jamie fears he'd just cave because it's what Danny wants to hear. Intimidating and this was at home!<p>

Danny looks at Jamie and frowns, watching his brother's eyes nervously shift back and forth before he utters a lame comeback.

"I'm tired from school," Jamie weakly confesses before he turns to head back into the kitchen.

"Like hell," Danny grumbles as his hand seizes Jamie's arm once more and he starts to literally drag him toward the hallway. "We'll be right back."

"Let go Danny," Jamie groans as he tries to yank his arm free. "I don't answer to you."

"Well I asked you a question and now I want a straight answer. So yes right now you do answer to me," Danny retorts as he and Jamie reach the end of the hallway, Jamie's body refusing to enter his room and risk being cornered by his oldest sibling.

"You know I gave you an answer…it's not my fault you don't want to hear it," Jamie frowns as he tries to move past.

"You've been snippy all week."

"Oh this coming from a guy that told me to break a leg in my new career choice."

"What you took that seriously?" Danny asks in disbelief. "So I toss out a lame ass remark, one you should be used to by now and you take it seriously?"

"Right and like you didn't give me help with that lame ass remark?"

"Pardon?" Danny counters with a frown. "What is really going on and don't tell me nothin' because I saw the wince earlier and I barely touched your arm."

"What do you care anyways?"

Danny shakes his head before uttering a heavy sigh, but still refusing to let Jamie pass. "I'm not moving until you confess Harvard and trust me you are not getting past me until you do."

"Nice scare tactic. Why do you care anyways? You haven't yet? Is it just to say I told you so?"

"Again with the rhetorical questions," Danny growls.

"I'm not gonna quit the academy."

"Yeah you said that a few times this week."

"And it hasn't changed."

"I'm not asking you to quit."

"Not in so many words."

"Whatever. But that doesn't explain to me the curt replies, the winces and the shifty expressions. What the hell is going on?"

"Are you only asking so that you can find some way to counter my answer?"

"You know what _Harvard_," Danny slightly sneers as he leans in closer, "you wanna talk shop on me fine…I can do the same. In fact I'm itchin' to just cuff you and drag you down to a damn holding cell and wait out my answer. Think you'd like that?"

"Why is that coming next?"

"Damn you know what…" Danny groans as he rolls his eyes and then shakes his head. "Will you quit with the damn mind games already and just tell me what is going on?"

"Nothing."

"Liar."

"Whatever," Jamie sighs as he looks at Danny squarely. "I won't be scared by your bully tactics to make me quit."

"I am not..."

"No matter what you say or _do_ is gonna change that," and with that Jamie quickly pushes past a somewhat confused Danny and heads into the main dining room, his heart racing at top speed. _I don't owe him the truth, _Jamie's mind justifies. _He'll just laugh and say I should have been able to face reality or something like that. _

Jamie takes his usual place opposite the table from Danny, doing everything to avoid his brother's penetrating gaze and concentrate on dinner or join in the family banter at the table; praying that the conversation would bypass him. It doesn't.

"So Jamie here finished his first week with flying colors," Henry states proudly, Jamie getting a pat on the back from his niece Nikki and just nodding to the table.

"Why not tell us some of the highlights," Danny goads, looking directly at Jamie.

"Ah just a lot of sweat and stress," Jamie shrugs as he looks away, his brain desperately wanting to change the subject.

"But there musta been one highlight? You were so keen last weekend…" Danny continues with a small frown.

"You know Danny…maybe I just don't wanna talk about it okay?" Jamie snaps, drawing all eyes in his direction.

"You sure did before."

"Yeah well maybe I don't want to now."

"Anyone for more peas?" Frank interjects. "Nikki helped make them."

"I still have hopes for her to be a chef," Erin joins in the subject change, taking a cue from her father.

Jamie, however, looks up and notices Danny's eyes still fixed on him and quickly looks back down to his plate and numbly tries to finish his meal; fighting against his rebelling stomach. But he knows that Danny suspects something and once he was on the trail of something, he wasn't gonna let up until he got what he wanted.

Frank watches Jamie and frowns, his mind thinking back to Danny taking Jamie aside and wanting to see what was going on. _Did Jamie not tell him everything? Must be Sydney, did he not mention it? What else could it be? He's said everything's fine? _But as Frank watches Jamie's fingers flex around his dessert fork he knows something else is brewing inside his youngest – trouble. But from what? And what kind?

Dinner finally finishes and Jamie is quick to get up and offer to help, wanting to keep his distance from Danny and his waiting barrage of questions.

"What was that all about back there?" Henry asks Jamie in a low tone.

"Just stuff with Syd…I don't wanna talk about it," Jamie replies in half truth, garnering a shrug from his grandfather, not realizing that Danny was now hovering in the doorway. "I mean it's not like Danny really cares anyway."

Danny hears the torment in his brother's words and looks at him in wonder; that expression remaining as Jamie turns around to face him. "Stuff with Syd?"

"It's no big deal and I don't wanna talk about it," Jamie insists as he tries to move past Danny.

"She hit you also?" Danny asks quietly, forcing Jamie to pause and look at him crossly.

"No."

"Thought as much," Danny retorts, making Jamie grit his teeth and continue. _What is hiding? He said what I do…I didn't do anything to him. Has someone else? Did someone attack him? Nah he'd tell dad for sure if that happened. But maybe he wouldn't. I wouldn't…why should he?_

"Leave him alone," Henry warns, breaking Danny from this thoughts.

"What? I can't say nothin' now?" Danny groans as Frank joins them. "He's acting weird and I am not allowed to ask what's wrong?"

"And what did he tell you?" Frank inquires.

"Syd's still giving him a hard time."

"Seems she's not as supportive as your better half," Frank retorts and Danny nods in agreement.

"Linda's a treasure for sure."

"So without much support from the person he asked to spend the rest of his life with…and the rest of us only slowly coming on board, he's got a lot to deal with."

"Nah it's somethin' else," Danny lightly argues back as he looks over at Jamie with his two sons. Danny watches Jack trying to jump on Jamie's back and Jamie trying to politely say no and step back. But it's not until Sean playfully wraps his arms around his chest, that Jamie steps back and pushes both boys away.

"Okay guys why not give Uncle Jamie a bit of space huh," Linda comes to her brother in law's rescue. "He's had a long week."

"Next time we can play Trojan horse okay guys?" Jamie weakly begs and Danny's brow furrows. _What aren't you tellin' me kid? _His mind ponders seriously as he heads over to them, Jamie quickly disappearing into the other room.

"What was that all about?" Danny asks Linda.

"I guess Jamie hurt himself doing…oh who knows what," Linda smirks. "Why not ask him."

"I did and he lied," Danny confesses with a frown.

"What? Why?"

"I don't know but I'll try again another day," Danny assures her, "you ready to go?"

"Yeah."

Danny looks over at Jamie in the living room and sighs. _I will find out what the hell is going on…I will._

Jamie watches Danny and his family leave, helps with the rest of the kitchen stuff and then retires to his room, thankful to just slump down on his bed and allow both his mind and body to just rest after the tense family dinner. He didn't feel like eating much but knew if he just picked at his food, it would draw more attention to himself than just taking a regular plate and suffering for it later.

_Danny knows…he knows something is wrong and is gonna press until he finds out…_Jamie's mind ponders in anxiety. _But if I wait until next weekend, I'll be okay and that'll be that…nothing to notice, _he tries to convince himself. That was of course barring any run in's with Garth Robinson.

"Jerk," Jamie grumbles as he tosses his study textbook aside and leans a back against his bed, his mind wondering what the week ahead would be like. This week they would be learning new moves to subdue a potential suspect and then of course practice them. _What if I'm stuck with either Garth or Aaron for the week? _Jamie's mind laments as he slowly rubs his tender chest. But trying to push that thought aside, Jamie gets ready for bed, praying he'll get some muchly needed rest and the week ahead will be anything but eventful.

XXXXXXXX

"Reagan? You're in early," Demarcus comments as he looks over Danny in his chair in the precinct. "Hot case I don't know about?"

"Nah somethin' else," Danny huffs as he tosses his pen onto the file and looks up at his partner.

"Yeah looks like somethin' is on your mind. What's up? Troubles at home?"

"No with Jamie."

"Didn't he just join the academy?" Demarcus inquires.

"Yeah…yeah he did," Danny frowns as he looks up at the clock. "He's done a fairly noticeable 180 in the past week and he's not talkin'."

"So maybe he realizes it's tougher than he thought. We remember…man it was hell at first right?"

"I'll be right back," Danny suddenly states as he stands up and reaches for his coat.

"Where you goin'?" Demarcus asks in haste.

"To confirm a hunch. Trust me I'll be right back, this won't take long."

"Need backup?"

"Not this time."

Demarcus watches Danny leave and sighs, knowing that there was no arguing with the headstrong Detective when he was on the trail of something.

Danny heads for the academy with wondering mind; Jamie was different at family dinner last night. He was a bit withdrawn, wincing every time someone touched or came near him, had lost his outward enthusiasm for his new career choice and actually argued back - in anger. _Is he being picked on? Bullied? Or something else because of his name? _Whatever it was, it was bugging Danny, especially since Jamie had indicated that Danny might _do_ something as in a _physical _impediment to his new professional choice.

"That's stupid," Danny chides himself as he nears the police academy. But as he ponders Jamie's reaction he knows he's seen it all too well with kids that have either been bullied or come from abusive households; since the latter would never be possible from their father, it had to be the first – Jamie was being bullied.

Danny parks his car in the staff area behind the building and away from the main entrance, not wanting Jamie to see him just yet. _I don't want this rift to get even bigger, _Danny ponders as he heads for the main entrance. Once inside, he hangs back as the bell rings, signaling all to be in their lockers getting ready to start their new week.

_Come kid…talk to me…what the hell's going on?_

XXXXXXXX

"So how was your quiet weekend?" Tom asks Jamie as they get ready.

"Restful actually. I feel better. And you?"

"Got some studying done but I had to work. Hey when are you starting your job?"

"Wednesday," Jamie replies in truth, not saying it loud enough for Garth or Aaron to hear. He glances up at them and notices them talking amongst themselves, look up at him, sneer and then continue. "I hope I don't get paired with either one of them for the week."

"I had to work with Aaron last week," Matt interjects. "He's more of a lame ass around Garth."

"And when he's not?"

"He's just lame," Matt smirks as they head for the entrance to the locker room. "While you two were having a fun weekend, I had to babysit," Matt groans. "Seriously you know what a mood killer that is with my girlfriend?"

"How old?"

"Four and six…we spent Saturday night watching barney and wiping butts," he finishes, drawing a small chuckle from Tom and Jamie. "But that's okay Lisa said she'd make it up to me this weekend. Hey Jamie how was your date Friday night with your fiancé?"

"Yeah it was alright…I just wasn't feeling that well still but she passed and it was a nice night to celebrate," Jamie answers weakly as they near the gym entrance; Danny watching, happy that his brother has some new friends that _seem _nice. However, that happy expression quickly changes with the next actions he witnesses.

"Hey golden boy, you ready to work with a _real _opponent this week?" Garth snides as he purposely bumps Jamie's shoulder, snickering as he and Aaron enter the large gymnasium.

"Does he know something we don't?" Jamie wonders, not realizing that it wasn't just his two friends that had witnessed the slight altercation.

_Robinson…_Danny's mind seethes as he watches Jamie's fists tighten after Garth's bump and then all of them disappear into the gym and out of view. Damn that guy's trouble. _Golden boy…_well names is one thing and it was also something he had to contend with when he was in the academy; that he couldn't help Jamie with. Their family always had to live with the adage…sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me. _Was Garth physically taunting Jamie as well?_

Danny heads for the locker room, hoping to catch one of the instructors to talk to them about Jamie, but unfortunately the room is empty and his chance is missed. Knowing he has to get back to his own job, Danny makes a mental note to keep pressing and heads back for his car.

"Garth Robinson," Danny grumbles as he thinks back to his altercation with the rude new recruit a few months back and grimaces. But knowing that his father was head of the police academy and that Garth's chances could be hurt if he were to step out of line, Danny tries to push aside the notion that Garth was picking on Jamie until another time proven statement comes to the fore – like father, like son. If Garth was that way, he learnt it somewhere and if Jamie couldn't go to Garth's father and was keeping it all inside, that could certainly account for his odd behaviour on Sunday night.

"Get what you needed?" Demarcus asks Danny as he nears their shared desk.

"Yeah more questions," Danny groans as he slumps down in his chair and looks at his partner with a heavy frown. "Something's going on inside the academy and I think…okay it's just a gut feeling."

"And you always tell me to trust my gut."

"Yeah but see I can't make a big fuss because if I do…"

"Things will get worse?" Demarcus interjects.

"Possibly," Danny shakes his head. "Damn it kid, why didn't wait until the next intake."

"Okay well while you ponder that, we got a call. You okay to take it?"

"Funny."

"Hey, just sayin'."

Danny follows after his partner and tries to get his mind to focus on the case they were about to go investigate; but his thoughts were with Jamie, wondering what his youngest sibling was forced to endurewhile away from the watchful eye of the family.

XXXXXXXX

"Regan, got a sec?" Instructor Danton takes him aside.

"Sure um…what's up?"

"I normally plan the partner roster for the week, but was at another teaching conference and I see that you have been paired with Garth Robinson. You will have to work with him at some point but…well you weren't at your best on Friday and I know Garth can be rough - on purpose. So I'm not asking you, I'm telling you that I'll give you someone else this week."

"But…"

"Trust me only we'll know. I haven't shown the roster yet to anyone else and it's not been posted. I'm not playing favorites and would have done it for any one of you…I know the Robinson's and I believe in fairness and they don't as much."

"I'm not weak," Jamie insists.

"This isn't about weakness Jamie, it's about being fair. You and Tom can work together this week."

And without letting Jamie offer anything further in his defense, Danton pulls away from him and goes to talk to a few others, wanting to make it seem like he was checking up on more than just one. Garth narrows his gaze at Jamie but still smirks when he sees Danton heading for the main board and then putting up the partner roster.

Garth heads for the partner roster, but his smug smile is short lived when he looks at the names and then back at Jamie and seethes. "Your turn is still coming Reagan," Garth hisses in his ear as he pushes past.

"Hey man we get to work together this week, cool," Tom smiles as he and Jamie high five each other.

"I get Emma, hey its better than Aaron or Garth," Matt mentions.

"And I get Rico Suave over there," Maria groans as they look over at the new recruit who winks at her. "Can someone tell him that his hair is the site of a toxic spill."

"How is he even allowed that much gel with that little bit of hair?"

"Yeah have fun with him," Emma smiles at her friend.

"You're turn is coming."

"By then he better have shaved his head," Emma groans and the group laughs.

Jamie's nervousness starts to subside as they all settle in to listen to the instructions about their new moves before dispersing into pairs to practice. As much as he had protested earlier, Jamie is actually thankful for Tom's gentle hand, knowing that after the attack from Garth, Garth would have shown him no mercy. _Maybe this week will be better after all, _Jamie's mind utters fatefully.

By the end of the day, Jamie's mind is actually relaxed, his anxiety lessened and he enters his home with a bit more bounce than usual; telling himself that if Garth is kept at bay, things will progress normally rather than him always looking over his shoulder or wondering what Garth was gonna do next.

Tuesday is much the same, but when Wednesday rolls around, Tom and Jamie are in the locker room talking about his job starting after class, not realizing who was listening.

"Thankfully no test tomorrow so I don't hafta study as much," Jamie tells Tom as they finish dressing in their gym attire.

"You'll still be tired."

"I know but I need the money," Jamie lightly laments. "I don't want to mooch of my dad you know?"

"How about your fiancé?" Tom teases. "Won't she be makin' more…you okay with that? Sugar momma?"

"Ah its just money you know?" Jamie shrugs, not really having given it much thought. "I just want the tension to subside."

"That'll come. Ready?"

"Let's do this."

Once again the morning was actually bearable as Jamie and Tom work on their moves, neither of them using cheap plays on the other and Jamie's frame healing more and more each day, his mind telling him by the weekend everything would be back to normal and he could show Danny that nothing was wrong. That plan was about to be rendered moot once again.

The academic session in the afternoon once again consisted of a pop quiz that Jamie nearly aced, a few things he still had to learn but for the most part was still top in the class, further growing the disdain that Garth was courting toward the youngest Reagan.

"Alright see you guys tomorrow."

"Think I'll still be callin' you van winkle," Tom teases, referring to rip van winkle.

"Can I call you twinkle toes?"

"Better than asking if I know where Huck Finn is all the time," Tom groans. "Can you still believe I get that lame comment?"

"Right you two got it hard…me? I get hey Matt, what do you call a guy with no arms and no legs on the floor," Matt offers in sarcasm.

"A Matt," Jamie and Tom chime at once before the three of them break apart laughing and going their separate ways; Tom and Matt toward home and Jamie toward the subway and then his part time job. It was true that he could have asked his father for help with the loans, knowing that Frank would have gladly helped out in any way he could. But he just wanted to have a bit of a break also from the rigors of school and get some extra cash to help pay for the wedding next fall.

Jamie enters the small shop, heads for the back to put his things away and then heads back to find his supervisor and get his duties. The next four hours pass by with mundane routine, Jamie's mind thankful for the not to strenuous work and the fact that if his mind was allowed to wander, he could think about what would be discussed in class the next day so that the four hours wouldn't be academically moot.

The four hours finally come to a close and Jamie's more than thankful to get his jacket, knapsack, say good night to his employer and head for the exit door and then the subway. But just as Jamie exits the building and is greeted the cool night air he doesn't realize he's on display; however, this time it wasn't just one set of eyes watching him – there were two.

"There he is…" Garth whispers as he and Aaron sit in their darkened car about to pounce, figuring that he had gotten away with the library incident and he would again this time. However, on the other side of the street and a few store fronts down, another dark car sits waiting – and watching.

Danny watches Jamie emerge and start to walk toward the end of the street when he notices two male figures in a dark car start to slowly pull away from the curb and follow his brother – without their lights on. "What the hell?" Danny growls as the car picks up pace toward Jamie.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Okay so yeah didn't want Jamie to confess too soon but what do you think Danny's gonna see? Will he interfere? Will anything actually happen? Is a big emotional brotherly showdown still to come? Hope you are all still liking the angst and tension in this and lots more brotherly moments ahead so stay tuned and please do review before you go…thanks so much everyone!


	9. Laying it All on the Line

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 9 – Laying it All on the Line**

* * *

><p>Within seconds and without really thinking, Danny flips on the high beams and floors it toward the dark car that was just about to hit Jamie.<p>

Instead of delivering a forceful physical blow, Jamie is sent stumbling backward, landing on his butt as the car that tried to run him over speeds away; another one right behind it. Both cars race away in the other direction and by the time Jamie picks himself up, the cars are too far away to identify who wanted to take him out and who possibly came to his rescue.

"Damn it…" Jamie mildly curses as he takes another deep breath, his entire frame shooting with small bursts of adrenaline. But he wastes no time in heading for the subway and then home, his mind wondering who it could have been that scared off the other driver. And who was the driver? Garth? Would he actually stoop that low? Was his intent merely to frighten or was he upping the stakes and wanting to send a message that something more dangerous was about to come?

XXXXXXXX

"Come on you bastard…who are you?" Danny growls as he follows after Garth. As much as he wanted to stop and see if Jamie was okay, he knows he can always corner his brother the following day, he has to know who's behind the hit and run.

"Who the hell's behind us?" Aaron asks in anxiety.

"Probably his damn brother!" Garth hisses as he heads for the main highway, we'll lose him in traffic.

"Man if he finds its you, he's gonna be pissed. What if he got your license number?"

"I'll deny it. Golden boy never saw us."

"Who do you think Danny Reagan's gonna believe?"

"I don't care," Garth looks over at Aaron. "This isn't over yet. I want him gone, you hear me? This is gonna be my year, not his!"

"He might not eve…"

"This is my year!"

Danny utters one more curse as he watches Garth's car zoom into traffic and dart behind a semi-trailer that forces him to slam on his breaks and wait for it to pass. But as soon as it does, Danny continues on – Garth is nowhere in sight.

"Son of a…" Danny hits the steering wheel with his fist before he turns his car around; heading for the precinct instead of for home. Danny darts into the building, muttering a few hello's before he reaches his desk and quickly brings up the DMV database, punching in the license plate and then waiting for the search results to come up. _Jamie was nearly hit tonight…_his mind ponders as he recalls his brother walking alone down the darkened street and then ending up on the sidewalk with thankfully only a few scrapes and bumps.

"Damn it kid, who the hell did you piss off like that? Garth or someone el…Robinson!" Danny's fist angry pounds the desk beside the computer, forcing a plastic travel cup to clatter to the floor and a few other officers look in his direction. "Sorry," Danny mutters as he leans back in his chair. Had Garth hurt Jamie another time? Is that why he was acting so physically sheepish the night before at family supper? Or was it someone else and this was just a bad coincidence?

Knowing that Jamie would just be at home and probably heading for bed, Danny saves his search and then heads for home. Jamie wasn't the type to just pick a fight with someone over something petty, it would have to be something very serious for him to step up to the plate and put his name and future on the line. So was Garth just targeting him for his name? Or was it personal?

"Garth you better stay the hell away from Jamie or…I swear you'll be sorry," Danny vows as he stops the car and heads into his house.

XXXXXXXX

Jamie reaches home with his heart racing at top speed, entering his quiet apartment and leaning against the door with a flushed faced and damp back. He closes his eyes for a few moments as he replays the events of him leaving the shop, the car coming out of nowhere, brushing the car he was next to, bumping it and sending him to the ground. He was temporarily winded and didn't see the other car that had followed right after the one that was gunning for him.

He takes a deep breath before finally leaving his place, his head still slightly pounding and his stomach tight but thankfully he had only sustained a few scrapes to his hands and a small scrape to his cheek, but the real damage that could have followed was spared by the second driver.

"Who the hell was it?" Jamie huffs angrily as he looks at the clock. Not wanting to wake his father or grandfather, he quickly heads for his room, telling himself he'd shower in the morning and literally crashes into bed, his eyes shutting almost instantly.

The next morning Jamie awakens a bit stiffer than normal, uttering a small groan when the alarm clock goes off earlier than he wants. But pushing past the anxiety he had come home with the night before, he heads for the bathroom, not realizing who was pulling up outside the front door and about to enter.

The shower soothes his somewhat stiffened frame, his mind trying to push past last night's fright, reminding him that he if he was to go off on Garth, even an audible verbal tirade without proof, he'd just label himself as paranoid or even biased and bring undue attention to himself – neither of which he wants.

But his nervousness skyrockets again when he enters the kitchen and sees his brother waiting instead of his grandfather.

"Oh…morning."

"Nice to see you too kid," Danny gently offers as he moves out of Jamie's way. "Look about the other day…"

"I don't wanna talk about it," Jamie merely replies as he grabs his now filled coffee mug and turns to leave.

"How'd work go last night?"

"Why are you here?" Jamie turns and asks Danny pointedly.

"I used to live here and newsflash…turns out we actually do have the same father…you didn't come from the stork after all."

"Whatever," Jamie groans as he heads for the table.

"Okay normally my lame jokes make you smirk, what gives?"

"Before you could care less about talking to me and now all of a sudden you're interested? Why's that Danny? You keeping tabs so that if I fail you can laugh and say I told you so?"

"Kid you are way off…"

"Am I?" Jamie interrupts sharply. "Just call your goons off right now!"

"What the hell are you…"

"Morning you two…why the raised voices?" Henry interrupts with a tense frown. "What'd I miss?"

"Danny's family loyalties have switched sides," Jamie grumbles as he quickly darts past, grabs his backpack and then heads for the door at top speed.

"Danny?"

"Damn if I know…I just came to see how he is?"

"What's going on?"

"I don't know but something isn't right," Danny frowns as he takes another sip of his coffee. "How was he when he came home last night?"

"No clue," Henry shrugs. "I was asleep already. He worked last night so assumed everything was good why?"

"Not sure."

"Danny if you know something you need to say it," Henry advises.

"That's just it…I don't…at least not his side," Danny replies with a frown, adding a silent _but I intend to find out._ "Tell dad I'll catch him later."

Jamie eyes his friends gathered around a table as he reaches the academy campus and heads for them, his eyes always darting around to see where Garth might be lurking.

"Hey sunshine," Tom greets Jamie with a smile and slap on the back. Thankfully his frame was on the mend, so that Jamie merely smiles in return. "You worked last night right?"

"Don't remind me," Jamie grunts as he slumps down beside them, none of them aware of the unmarked police cruiser stopping on the other side of the chain link fence. "But it was okay I guess…my employer knows I'm only there temporarily so it's all good. How about you?"

"I had to babysit last night," Tom sighs. "Huey and Duey…"

"No way, really?" Emma laughs. "Nice names."

"And get this my uncle wants them to be line backers," Tom rolls his eyes. "My aunt think they'll end up like Michael Jordan…meanwhile I think they'll end up like some dead end rapper duo. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumber," he smirks, garnering a few chuckles.

"So what are anyone's plans this weekend? Besides the pizza study party at Tom's?" Matt asks. They talk a bit longer before the first warning bell sounds and its time to head inside and get the day started. Jamie spies Garth by his locker and is rewarded by a sneer as he heads toward him, followed by a firm shoulder bump as he continues past.

"He still on about nothing?" Tom asks with a frown. "Man why doesn't he just get past it already?"

"He's retarded," Matt offers and the three of them laugh. "Wonder how his driving skills will be next week?"

"We get to drive next week?"

"The start of it…and the week after…the gun play."

"I'm looking forward to that," Maria pipes up as they gather near the main entrance to the gymnasium.

"You can shoot?"

"You better believe I can," she proudly boasts. "I wanna be a sharpshooter and then a sniper with SWAT."

"That's awesome," Emma states as Instructor Danton enters the room and its time to start.

Jamie looks over at Garth, wondering if the mad driver behind the wheel last night was actually him or someone else? It was dark for the most part and it could have been a case of mistaken identity; either way it was a serious scare. But what could he do? He couldn't afford to take a cab home each night nor could he afford to insure his own car. Maybe he could borrow his grandfathers at least once a week? Maybe for the Wednesday shifts? That would cut down on some of the anxiety, especially as winter nears and the really dark, icky weather was made manifest.

"I can't wait until we are paired together," Garth nears Jamie in the locker room after the morning session was over and whispers so that only he can hear. "Just wait until I get you into a pair of handcuffs," he snickers; Matt and Tom already outside waiting by their usual lunch table.

"Seriously what is your problem?" Jamie asks directly. "You have something with my brother?"

"And if I do?"

"Then deal with him and leave me alone."

"Or what?" Garth goads.

"Or I'll tell my father to fire you and your father."

"Aww you gonna run to daddy and tell no me?"

"And if I do?" Jamie counters with Garth's words. "If it gets rid of you, then maybe I'll do just that."

Garth's angry expression darkens instantly, his face turning almost evil as he leans in closer and hisses under his breath. "You listen to me…I don't give a freakin' damn who the hell you are…you ruin this for me and I swear you won't be the only Reagan to pay…you got me?"

"Is that a threat?" Jamie calmly inquires.

"No…its free advice," Garth states firmly as he pulls back. "And if I were you…I'd take it. Enjoy your lunch."

Jamie curses under his breath as he slams his locker shut and storms out of the room, the whole scene not lost to the watchful eye of Instructor Danton. However, the seasoned officer knows that since he didn't hear what Garth had whispered, only witnessed it's aftermath, Garth could claim what he wanted and nothing would be done – except garner Jamie Reagan a tattle, something he knows he's not.

"Damn it," Danton curses as his counterpart Dean Atchison enters.

"What's up?"

"Something…" Danton frowns. "Got a minute?"

"Always."

XXXXXXXX

"Man you've been nothing but piss and wind all day," Demarcus groans as he pulls Danny back from a suspect and then lets another officer deal with his statement.

"So I don't like him," Danny growls as he pulls away from his concerned partner.

"You don't like Garth's now?"

"Huh?"

"You told that guy you don't believe him because you don't like his name. I thought he was telling us the truth. Man what gives and I think you owe me an explanation before you're brought up on a harassment charge or we lose a viable suspect."

"Fine," Danny groans. "He was lying to us…"

"No about what's really bothering you…this thing with your brother?"

"Yeah."

"Then go fix it."

"Look I tried that this morning okay," Danny sighs as he walks away from the gathering officers and witnesses, his partner following. "Last night he was nearly hit by a car…"

"What? You said nearly…is he okay?"

"Yeah he's okay but I lost the car in traffic."

"Did you get the license?"

"I did."

"Damn it man its like pulling teeth with you. So who…"

"Garth Robinson…name ring a bell?"

"Garth…"

"Two months ago…late call…robbery at Bell's convenience store."

"The dude who….oh him?"

"Yeah him. He didn't like what I told him…mouthed off and…"

"And you mouthed back and he tossed you that lame ass warning."

"So now instead of getting back at me…"

"He's getting back at your brother?" Demarcus finishes his sentence with a question more than a statement.

"I don't know for sure…but it was him last night that tried to hit Jamie."

"To kill him?"

"Or scare him…or make him want…to…quit…" Danny's voice trails off.

"What? I don't like that look," Demarcus frowns.

"Well it explains why he's been acting the way he is. Maybe Garth said something to him about what I said and now he's getting back at Jamie. Could account for his hostility at family dinner on Sunday."

"Maybe it's just you," Demarcus offers pointedly and Danny sneers. "Hey man just sayin."

"But I asked Jamie and he won't tell me…and before you say, no I'm not gonna beat it outta him."

"Why not? Always worked on my little brother," Demarcus smirks as they head back for their car.

"I gotta catch Garth in the act."

"Well when you do you better not be alone."

"I can't trouble you for…"

"You know if you go up against the school administrator's son with only your word, that it won't stick."

"You're my partner."

"Then we best get us some other proof."

"Fine," Danny resigns as they get into the car and head back to the precinct.

XXXXXXXX

_"I'm sorry for Friday…it wasn't right and those guys were outta line," Sydney's voice is heard on the other end of the phone later that night._

"Kinda would like just some us time you know," Jamie suggests as he puts down his book and looks at the time. "What about this weekend?"

_"No work or study groups?"_

"Friday night?"

_"Okay and then I can tell you all about my big news."_

"Big news? Come on you gotta tell me now," Jamie insists with a smile.

_"No way…this way you can wonder about it all day tomorrow."_

"That's fair," Jamie slightly sighs but happy that Sydney sounds a least a bit more 'relaxed' and less uncertain. Of course he wasn't bringing up anything about their future just yet and as he hangs up, tells himself its probably a great job offer and that things will be okay. The anxiety had subsided from Wednesday's after work ordeal but the tension between him and Danny was still bothering him.

"Why can't he just leave me alone," Jamie grumbles to himself as he gets ready for bed, slowly climbing under the covers to get some much needed rest. But the thought of seeing his fiancé the following night ensures his sleep this time is more restful than the night before and awakens the next morning actually feeling refreshed.

"So an actual date…not just a social outing?" Henry smirks as he hands Jamie a bowl of home made oatmeal.

"I think it's a job offer and I'll be happy for her…I just hope she doesn't bring up the money thing all the time."

"That's a thing for her huh," Henry grumbles.

"I know but its not a bad thing is it?"

"Not as long as it doesn't come between you. Danny doesn't make what your sister does but Erin doesn't make what Nick does…no one talks money at the dinner table; you just don't talk money if you wanna keep the peace in a family," Henry explains.

"Money free, got it," Jamie smiles as he finishes his breakfast. But as he heads for school, his mind now ponders what things would be like when they both started to bring home very different salaries. Money was always a big deal for Sydney's family, Jamie had learned that right from the start. He had fit in because of who he was and what he wanted to do – be a lawyer like her; but now wonders how her family would receive him after the sudden career switch? Surely she'd told him.

For the most part, Garth keeps his distance from Jamie, allowing him complete peace of mind for the better part of the day. However, what Jamie doesn't suspect, is that Garth is just waiting – formulating his next move.

"Okay so here are the directions…if you don't get an answer for the first buzzer, press it again or call up," Tom suggests as he hands Jamie directions to his apartment for their Saturday night study group. "I booked us one of the common rooms. Hope you can make it."

"I'm sure I will. Okay see you then."

Jamie shoves the instructions into his pocket and then heads for home, wanting to quickly change before he goes to see Sydney for a hopefully romantic dinner. After a shower, he changes into something a bit more formal forgoing the tie and heading outside, this time into a waiting cab.

"Hey there," Sydney greets him with a warm smile and kiss, putting his mind at ease instantly. They head into the very nice restaurant, Jamie not wanting to say too much about the prices as he was happy that it was just them this time.

"Okay so tell me already," Jamie practically begs about twenty minutes into their evening. "It's a job right?"

"You betcha. I got a job with…" she rattles off her junior placement with one of the cities top personal law firms. "5th avenue penthouse here I come…I mean we," she brags with a bright smile. "I mean that's what we had talked about?"

"We did but…"

"But what?" She asks in haste. "I know a cop's salary isn't…well I don't want the standard house with white picket fence like your brother has," she states with some disdain. "That's so boring."

"Why does the conversation always have to revolve around money?" Jamie lightly grumbles. "Will I forever be reminded that I don't make near what you do?"

"Look we already changed our future plans because of your sudden career change, why do we have to change our future dwellings also?"

"What was wrong with the loft?"

"It was good…nice…it was temporary. Besides Jake got…"

"Syd I swear if I hear his name one more time, I'm gonna cut off my ears and mail them to you," Jamie huffs.

"Well if we can't talk about work then what can we talk about?"

"Life…sports…news…current events…we used to talk about all those things before. Your shopping trips or what funny artwork your silly little niece made you. Something other than money."

"Okay sorry," she resigns, pasting on a rather fake smile and telling Jamie something that happened in the family. But Henry's words come back to his mind about money and the effect it has on people; if they weren't on the same page, how it would ultimately drive them apart in the end. Sydney has always told him she didn't want him to go into police work because it was too dangerous, but was this another nail in the coffin? Forever reminded about the dangers and the pay? Would there be anything about his profession that she'd support without complaint?

And by the time the evening is ending, Jamie is once again wondering just where this future was going. But if she wasn't about to break it off, he wasn't either – telling himself that these were just some normal growing pains and that once they were both into a comfortable routine all would be better.

After a kiss goodnight, Jamie watches her disappear into traffic and heads home in deep thought, his mind not as at ease as it was ending the day as starting it.

Jamie awakens early Saturday morning, wanting to get a bunch of stuff done before heading to Tom's for pizza and a study session; something he was actually looking forward to. Each of them had their own separate lives and love interests, but when they were together, they were friends and it was just time to relax and come together for a common cause – that was something he longed for with Sydney.

"You're not staying for supper?" Henry calls out as Jamie gathers his books.

"Nope, see you both later."

"Have fun," Frank smirks as he watches Jamie head out the door.

"How'd his date go last night?" Henry asks Frank.

"We don't gossip about each other."

"Ha, since when?" Henry smirks.

"Strained, much like last time."

"I think she's all about the money," Henry suggests, drawing an arch brow look from his son. "What? What did he say?"

XXXXXXXX

Jamie gets off the subway and nears Tom's apartment block, his mind actually looking forward to studying and bringing his mood up from the night before. But as he nears Tom's apartment, he passes by a darkened alcove that he pays no heed to, until he's being dragged into it.

Suddenly two hands reach out, one wrapping around his mouth, covering it and the other around his neck, dragging him further into the shadows. The other man grabbing his bag.

"He…mp…" is all Jamie manages as the hand clamps down further to keep him quiet. He struggles in vain as another figured cloaked all in black rushes in to help subdue him. He continues his fruitless struggles as he's pulled into a narrow alley way between the two buildings; his two attackers stopping in the middle, the three of them shrouded in darkness so no one able to see or come to his aid.

"Gag him!" Garth demands, Jamie's mind picking up the familiar voice and seething. But unable to do more than try to kick his other attacker, whom he suspects to be Aaron, he knows it's a losing battle.

"HEL…" is all Jamie manages before a cloth is shoved into his mouth and Garth's release on him finally loosens. Garth's hands however, quickly move from his mouth and neck to his arms, pulling them back and allowing Aaron, still wearing his black mask to seal in the cloth with a few strips of heavy duct tape.

"There…now no one can hear you," he snickers as he pats Jamie on the cheek before punching him hard in the gut. Jamie's frame falters in Garth's grasp. Garth wrestles him to the ground and holds him pinned while Aaron tightly binds his wrists with the tape and then his ankles until he's firmly restrained.

_HELP ME! _Jamie's mind yells in vain, his entire frame on fire and his neck damp with sweat. Garth and Aaron haul him upright and drag him toward Garth's waiting car, still parked in the shadows.

"The car seat for you," Garth snickers as he opens the trunk, meaning to put Jamie inside. But with his feet bound, it was a useless battle and can merely pray for help and that someone will see as he's put into a crude hogtie and then sealed in the dark tomb, Garth and Aaron giving each other a high five outside.

"Now for some fun," Garth pounds on the trunk as he and Aaron get in and speed away.

Meanwhile, upstairs Tom looks at his watch and then the rest of the group and shrugs before he pulls his phone. "Maybe I'll call and see where he is."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Well it was the calm before the storm and now the storm has hit. So what happens when Jamie doesn't show up for the study group? Who's gonna get the call? And will Danny finally get what he needs on Garth? But at what cost to him and Jamie? Hope you are all still liking this and please do review before you go. Thanks so much in advance!


	10. Kidnapped!

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 10 – Kidnapped!**

* * *

><p><em>HELP ME! <em>Jamie's mind calls in vain as he tries to find some give in the tight bonds keeping him captive. He hears Garth and Aaron laughing at his helpless predicament in the body of the car, taunting his condition by calling his name and making mocking remarks.

"Having fun golden boy?" Garth calls out.

"Yeah not so tough now are ya?" Aaron snickers as he pulls his phone and then shows Garth a picture he had quickly snapped before the truck was closed.

"What the hell is that?"

"A small souvenir."

"Get rid of that you moron!" Garth growls as he looks at his hand, the obvious tattoo showing that he was part of it also.

"Yeah…yeah I will…just like looking at it," Aaron smiles as he looks at the picture of Jamie bound and gagged in the trunk of the car; not realizing that it would come back to haunt him later.

Jamie's body tries to flex, cursing the fact that his bound ankles were pulled up and then secured with more tape close to his tightly bound wrists. His fingers frantically feel for something he can use…anything to at least cut the hogtie free. With his heart pounding and sweat drenching his brow and neck, he can only imagine what Garth has in store for him. _He can't kill me right? He can't…_

His fingers finally rest on what feels like a small screwdriver and quickly grasp it, his mind yelling at him to get busy and cut the tape; at least with his feet able to move about he could kick the top of the trunk and hopefully draw attention to his helpless predicament.

XXXXXXXX

"Maybe he couldn't make it…he had to work last Saturday," Matt pipes up.

"Yeah but he said he'd be here," Tom frowns. "I don't know man…somethin's up."

"Like what?" Maria inquires.

"That jerk Garth…I don't know…I saw him hovering around when I was giving Jamie directions."

"You think he'd do something?"

"Wouldn't put it past him…you've all seen how he makes comments and such."

"Yeah but that's all its been…just hot air from a real windbag," Matt reminds them, none of them of course realizing about the run-in at the library.

"I still wanna call his brother," Tom suggests.

"What if you get him into trouble? You know telling on him and such," Emma suggests. "I'd be mad if it was nothing and you told on me."

"Yeah but if you were in trouble, you'd have wanted me to right?"

"Go with your gut man…" Matt concedes. "Otherwise we'll not hear the end until you do."

"Right," Tom frowns as he dials the precinct he knows where Danny works out of, hoping to at least get his cell number and then call him. _I hope you're okay Jamie and I'm just overreacting for nothing._

XXXXXXXX

_HELP! _Jamie tries once more in vain, the cloth and tape gag keeping his calls to a few soft whimpers. The car starts to slow and his heart rate to speed up. _Where am I? What the hell's going on? _His fingers with the small screwdriver in them that had nearly broken through some of the tape, relax as the car comes to a complete stop and footsteps are heard.

"Liking the luxury treatment?" Garth mocks as he opens the trunk, Jamie squinting up at his two captors. "Whadda ya say? He looks pretty scared to me," he snickers as he roughly pats Jamie's flushed cheek.

_LET ME GO! _Jamie shouts in vain.

"Oh what's that? Sorry yeah we can't hear you," Aaron smirks as he takes another picture.

"Stop it with the pictures already," Garth warns as Aaron puts his phone away.

"No way I like it."

"Awww all tied up and no where to go. Well that's okay because we have some place for you to go. A nice watery grave!" Garth taunts before he slams the door shut.

_WHAT? _Jamie's mind races in complete fear. He hears the cruel laughter as his heart nearly explodes, his mind racing for a way to make himself known to the outside world. He bites back a small sob and commands himself to focus once more on his escape; but as he ponders his would be fate, his mind starts to sink into despair and he slumps back in captive defeat. _Danny…Danny you gotta help me…please you gotta help me._

XXXXXXXX

"Some kid calling for you," Demarcus hands the phone to Danny just as he nears his desk.

"Some kid? I have two and each of them has his own name," Danny mutters. "I told Linda I'd be home an…"

"No some kid named Tom."

"Tom?" Danny mouths as Demarcus shrugs before handing him the phone. "Yeah this is Danny Reagan. Who's this?"

_"Uh this is Tom…Tom Sawyer."_

"Tom Sawyer?" Danny arches his brows, making his partner look up in wonder. "Okay Tom Sawyer, what's up?"

_"It's about my friend…your brother Jamie…he's um…"_

"He's what?" Danny demands in haste.

_"Okay well tonight we are having a study group and he said he'd be here…but um that was about half hour ago and he's still not here. I don't think he's working or he could be…I don't know but I just have this feeling something's not right. Do you know where he is?"_

"Not at the moment," Danny answers simply. Jamie was more than responsible, he was almost anal with his time management, if he said he'd be there he'd be there. "Okay I'll look into it."

_"There's been some kid named Garth giving him a hard time at the academy and such but um…well I don't want to point fingers or anything."_

"Okay thanks. I'll take care of it."

"What?" Demarcus inquires as Danny hangs up and starts to dial another number.

"Not sure yet," Danny frowns as he dials Jamie's cell number.

Jamie's ears pick up the somewhat muffled ring of his cell phone, his knapsack underneath him, the phone out of reach. _The phone! Get the phone! _His mind yells. He had heard it earlier but until his body shifted he wasn't sure where the bag could be. His fingers drop the screwdriver in favor of trying to get the cell phone and at least turn it on.

"Come on kid, pick up…" Danny nervously strums the top of his desk with a pen before he hangs up.

"No answer?"

"No and it's not like him to just not show up without an explanation. Gosh if he had his way, he'd send a Hallmark for being five minutes later for family dinner," Danny smirks before he frowns again. _Garth! So others had seen it also. I swear if he's done anything to Jamie…_his mind trails off as he calls his father's home, asking Henry if Jamie had come back home.

"Not at home…" Danny's agitation starts to grow as he dials Sydney. "Not with his fiancé."

"And not answering his phone?"

"Nope," Danny huffs as he places the phone back down on the receiver.

"He still pissed at you?"

"He's not the kind to play games…even if he didn't want not talk to me, he'd have told someone where he is," Danny relates in truth. "Something's up."

"You think it's this Garth kid?"

"My gut says yes."

"I hate it when it does that," Demarcus smirks. "So what's your plan? You can't just go over there and shake him down without cause."

"I'm upset…that's cause enough."

"Maybe so, but you know his father has pull and you said it yourself…you could make things worse for Jamie."

"You suggesting I let this go? My brother is missing!" Danny gently growls.

"Just reminding you of the facts. But I don't want to downplay your concern. Now you called his cell right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"And it rang?"

"Yeah but he didn't answer. What's your point?"

"So if it's active, maybe we can get it tracked and at least find out where he's at."

"Okay who can do that for us?"

"I know a guy."

"You know a guy," Danny huffs. "Okay call your guy."

Danny watches Demarcus start to find the number as he quickly calls Linda and tells her he'll be a bit later than promised – it was an urgent police matter. _Where the hell are you kid? I swear you better be okay…damn it!_

XXXXXXXX

_Call again…please call again…_Jamie's mind begs as his fingers fumble with the zipper on his backpack. With the crude hogtie still in effect, it was a rather arduous task to try to effectively get the small electronic device, his lungs gasping for air through his nose and his back literally soaked from nervous sweat.

He finally reaches the phone, but with his fingers sweaty and unable to really remember which buttons were which, he could only pray the phone makes it into his back pocket and Garth not find it.

After the phone was securely stowed away, Jamie's fingers once again try to find the screwdriver and continue his work on the tape hogtie; finally cutting all the way through and allowing his body the chance to stretch out a bit. He feels the car starting to slow a bit more and takes the opportunity to bang on the top of the trunk, praying they were perhaps stopped at a streetlight and people would hear and question.

"Nice try golden boy!" Garth calls out as he turns up his stereo, the pounding base all but effectively masking Jamie's feeble attempts at being heard.

_No! No…someone has to hear me…please hear me! _Jamie's mind laments as his body slumps down in defeat. Trying to call for help with the effective gag in place was moot and now Garth had taken away his only chance at being noticed. He tries to kick upward on the trunk roof once more as the car speeds away, the music dying and Garth yelling at him in anger.

"You'll pay for doing that Reagan!" Garth hisses as he looks over at Aaron who shrugs.

"So he found something to cut his hogtie with…so what? He's still ours right?"

"Mine…he's still mine!" Garth reminds him. "He's my warning message to his brother."

_Warning message? To my brother? _Jamie's mind ponders. What? Danny's not behind this? _Of course not! Your brother would never get two guys to kidnap and try or even threaten to kill you! _But…but he said this was for Danny….what the hell's going on? It didn't matter because as soon as the car starts to slow for the last time, Jamie's mind instantly panics. His nose picks up the faint smell of sea water and Garth's haunting words slam into him full force. _A watery grave…_

_HELP ME! _Jamie tries once more, kicking at the trunk until it finally pops open and he's greeted with two snarls; the lips showing through the black mask. It didn't matter if the faces were covered, he knows its Garth and Aaron by their voices and the names he's been called.

"How has the hospitality been so far?" Garth sneers as he grabs Jamie by the front of his sweater and merely lifts his captive frame upward, dragging him from the trunk and allowing his bound body to crash to the ground, landing on his phone and breaking it.

Jamie's gagged lips offer a muffled grunt under the tape, Garth smiling at his helpless prey.

"Yeah not so special now are ya?" Garth laughs as he kicks Jamie in the stomach, Jamie's eyes instantly closing from pain; his bound wrists unable to defend himself.

"When do we kill him?" Aaron asks, making Jamie instantly look up in a panic.

"Well..." Garth bends down to Jamie and grins. "Or we could stall? Would you like that golden boy?"

_Yes damn you! _Jamie nods, eliciting a small nod of approval from his captor.

"Okay on one condition."

_What? What the hell is he talking about?_

"Here's the condition…your life in return for your dropping out of the Police Academy."

_WHAT? He can't be serious._

"So you can either nod yes for a watery grave…" Garth pauses, "or nod yes for your life."

Jamie just narrows his eyes but doesn't nod, praying that Garth was just bluffing and the death threat not real.

"Damn you're stubborn! Must run in the family. Bring him."

_NO! _Jamie's lips shout in vain, his body trying to struggle against his two captors as they each take an arm and start to drag him toward the edge of the pier.

_HELP ME! SOMEONE HELP ME! _Jamie tries to yell, his lungs dry and his chest heaving.

Garth looks over at Aaron and winks before laughing at Jamie's struggles. "Here comes the water golden boy. Option B is still on the table."

_HELP ME! SOMEONE…OH GOD SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!_

"No? Okay say hi to the fishes for us," Garth snickers as they near the edge, Jamie's eyes widening as his body once again tries to rebel against the two men holding him captive.

_This can't be…this can't be happening…_his mind reels in despair. But just before he's tossed into the water, his two captors veer to the right and start to drag him toward a small fishing shack. _What the hell's going on?_

Jamie is wrestled into the darkened building and dragged through the first room, toward a small back closet and fairly dumped before the door, giving him a small window of opportunity to allow his heart rate to lower; a very small window.

"Get me a chair," Garth tells Aaron as he kneels down to Jamie's flushed face, laughing at his panicked expression very evident in the dimly lit room. "See I have somewhere I gotta be…so we're just gonna leave you here all nice and secure and then come back. If you have escaped or attempt to escape, I'm gonna make sure that next time…my threat comes through. Do you understand me?"

Jamie looks up and once again narrows his eyes, his teeth gritting against the damp cloth in his mouth.

"I ASKED YOU A DAMN QUESTION!" Garth yells before he hits Jamie once more, making Jamie completely sink to the floor.

"Here."

"Ah thanks."

Aaron brings in the chair into the room and both of them prop Jamie's still bound frame into it before, much to his horror, Aaron starts to wrap the tape around his chest, effectively pinning him to the chair; his struggles doing nothing to stop his further restraint. Next his legs were taped down and then his ankles until he couldn't move at all.

"Hope you are enjoying the hospitality," Garth smirks as he rips off one more piece of tape and holds it up to Jamie's face. "And I really hope you're not afraid of the dark," he mocks before he pushes the tape down over his eyes, sealing out the last vestige of hope.

_Garth…don't do this! _Jamie mumbles in vain as both of his captors stand back to admire their handiwork.

"Now that's a Kodak moment," Garth laughs as he takes a picture with his own camera and then once again pats Jamie on the cheek. "See you soon golden boy and when I get back I will expect a firm answer, YOU UNDERSTAND!" He growls before him and Aaron push Jamie into the small dark closet and slam the door shut, locking it and then heading back outside, cruel laughter left to remind Jamie of his predicament.

_Help me! _Jamie tries to struggle…desperate to find any kind of wiggle room in the tight bonds keeping him captive. He slumps back, fearfully listening to the silence as it starts to build around him. _This can't be happening…surely Tom would have noticed and called…maybe he called Danny…please let him have called Danny. _

But then Jamie's mind reminds him that he did infer to Tom that there was a possibility that he wasn't coming. In that case, then no call would be made and he was facing a real threat to his very existence – no help was coming and he could possibly die tonight. He wasn't about to give in to such petty demands as he knows Danny or his father never would. But was the alternative? Death? _This can't be…this can't be happening…Danny you hafta find me…please you hafta find me in time._

"So where are we going?"

"To establish an alibi," Garth replies as they get into the car, Jamie's stuff still in the trunk. "Let's see him get out of that."

"There's no way, we taped him up real good," Aaron boasts.

"Good."

XXXXXXXX

"What the hell do you mean the signal's lost?" Danny snaps as he looks over at the man Demarcus had called and they went to see about tracking Jamie's phone. "It was just there. Where'd it go?"

"Well don't forget this isn't real time," the electronics tech, Lin reminds them.

"Real time…no time…I don't care what the hell time it is, where is my brother?" Danny demands, Demarcus just shaking his head.

"Okay your brother's cell signal stopped here…"

"The waterfront? Can you get me an address?"

"I can give you this…" Lin writes down an area. "That's all I have…if he's with his cell phone…its somewhere there…sorry that's the best I can do."

"It will do, thanks," Demarcus thanks his friend before hurrying after Danny. "Let me drive, my head is clearer."

"The waterfront? What the hell is he doing down by the damn waterfront?" Danny growls as they race outside and get into the unmarked police cruiser, Demarcus driving.

"Maybe he…I don't know man but I'm sure he's okay."

"Okay…yeah he better be okay...or else," Danny huffs as he looks out the window and then back down at the computer printout in his fingers. _The waterfront…kid what the hell are you doing there?_

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** So what happens when Danny finds Jamie? Or will he find him? Will Garth and Aaron come back and see Danny there? And how will Danny ultimately stop Garth? Lots a head so please do review and please stay tuned for more! thanks again!


	11. Hide and Seek?

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 11 – Hide and Seek?**

**A/N: **Okay so hope you are all still with me and not getting bored. A special thanks to everyone and to those without an account for me to thank personally: **Ood** and **Iris** I always appreciate your great feedback and hope you continue to like the story.

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><p>Jamie hears the car scream away, his heart beating painfully against his tender ribs; his body tired from the useless struggles. The tape was strong and unforgiving and there wasn't any wiggle room to be found in his tight bonds. The effective gag keeps his calls for help to sad whimpers and the tape blindfold only adds to his growing fear.<p>

_This can't be happening…_Jamie's mind laments as his body strains against the tape and then slumps back against the hard chair in defeat. _He can't be serious…he can't kill me…I can't drop out…this is blackmail…or something…_his mind swirls over and over again until his head starts to pound harder and he slumps back against the chair in defeat.

_HELP ME! _Jamie tries once again, his lungs gasping for air and coughing as some fibers from the cloth still filling his mouth start to tickle his throat on the way down; making him cough harder and his eyes water further. When was Garth coming back? And what would he do when he got back? _He can't really kill me can he? Toss me in the water like this? _Jamie shakes his head willing the tormented images to leave. But just as his heart rate settles a little, he hears a car in the distance outside, breaking the silence and instantly his panic soars once more. _Oh no…they're back._

XXXXXXXX

"Man it looks pretty dark and quiet," Demarcus mentions as the car finally comes to a stop a few yards away from the darkened shack Jamie was being held captive in.

"You sure he's here?" Danny asks softly as his eyes quickly scan the surrounding area.

"Well he _was_ here," Demarcus corrects as the two of them get out of the car and slowly start to mill about the area.

"Okay so why was the signal lost?"

"Turned his phone off? Hey you said that he's been having trouble with that Garth kid at school right? Maybe he just wanted to come to some place quiet to think without anyone bugging him."

"Here?" Danny retorts. "I don't buy it…something's just not right. He would go…other places."

"Maybe."

Danny looks around the quiet area and shakes his head. "Come on kid…if you're here…you better show yourself and stop playing these damn games," Danny grumbles in a low undertone as he pulls his phone to dial Jamie's cell number again.

_Was it Garth? Is he out there? Or someone else? _He couldn't hear the voices, only when the car had pulled up and stopped; his anxiety forcing his whole body to slightly shiver. _What if it was Garth? Was he now going to be taunted with death? What about someone else? What would he face then? _So not wanting to press his luck too much, Jamie sinks back on the chair and remains still, not realizing that it was his brother a few yards away.

Danny slowly heads toward the edge of the pier, his eyes continually scanning the area as his partner comes up behind him.

"Any answer at home?"

"No," Danny frowns as he looks at his partner before turning around and looking at the small darkened buildings around him; no obvious signs of life drawing his attention to anything out of the ordinary. "And I can't call dad – yet because if it is just a case of the kid wanting some time alone – from everyone then I'll only make matters worse."

"But if he's in trouble…"

"And I did nothing," Danny huffs as he rubs his face. "He came here for a reason…the signal stopped here for a reason…but what reason? And why the hell would he come here in the first place?"

"So what do you want to do now?" Demarcus dares to inquire.

As much as he wants to just leave and let his brother have his privacy something inside his gut was saying this was too out of character for Jamie and to stay a bit longer; something wasn't right.

"Danny?"

"What I want is to go and talk to that Garth kid. But if its not…and I make matters worse…damn I hate being stuck like this!" Danny growls as turns and looks back at the car and the darkened buildings around; a small nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach urging him to not give up just yet. "I'm gonna stay a bit longer."

"What for? Danny, there's no one here. The place is dark and quiet."

"I just…I can't explain it okay…it's just somethin'…"

"Somethin'…I'd like a little somethin' somethin' right now but not here," Demarcus grumbles as the two of them get back into the car, Danny at the wheel. "So where just gonna sit here?"

"Yup," Danny replies slowly as he turns the car on and then slowly backs into a darkened parking garage and turns it back off, bathing them both in darkness. The car was situated so that they could see anyone around the pier, the building Jamie was still inside and a few others; but since they were at a small angle and backed all the way in, they wouldn't be noticed unless direct light was shone on them.

"So…you wanna play eye spy?" Demarcus asks in quiet sarcasm.

"Yeah…" Danny nods. "I spy with my little eye…something that is…out of place."

XXXXXXXX

Despite the fact that the area around him was starting to cool down, Jamie's body starts to slowly drift in and out of consciousness; the mental and physical fatigue making it hard for him to keep his eyes open and fully alert. But each time he would hear an odd sound, he'd jerk back awake, futility struggle once more and then slump back in defeat.

_HELP ME! _His lips still try to offer in vain as he tries to once again wiggle and strain against the tape restraints. He slumps back in frustration wondering if he really was being punished for helping to break his father's promise to his dying mother.

_'Promise me Frank…' he had heard his mother beg in a soft tone. 'Jamie won't join the NYPD. Please for me.'_

_'I promise.'_

Jamie feels his eyes water once more under the tape and then shakes his head; maybe giving in was a better alternative to this kind of torment. _At least it would get Garth off my back…I don't need this. _He ponders as he once again feels the darkness starting to close in around him once more, dark fingers mocking his helpless frame by offering invisible pokes to whatever limb was available.

His ears pick up what seems to be scurrying on the other side of the door and instantly his panic surges once more. Was Garth there? Was that a rat? A cat? Something else? _But Garth can't leave me here like this can he? What the hell! _Jamie inwardly growls once more as he tries again to pull himself free, the tape holding and him quickly surrendering once again.

However, it's not long before Danny's story about one of his boys to his partner dies out as a car approaches. His eyes narrow as he watches Garth get out, something balled up in his hand.

"Isn't that…"

"Yeah Garth Robinson," Danny softly hisses as he looks at the other kid. "Wasn't that…"

"Yeah the guy that was with him the time you had your run in with him," Demarcus confirms. "Well so far they aren't doing anything wrong."

"Yet," Danny corrects his partner as they watch Garth and Aaron enter the darkened building.

"Now what do you supposed they're up to in there?"

"Not sure but lets wait a bit longer and see what happens."

"Could be a drop?"

"Well if they come out lookin' suspicious, I say we go talk to them," Danny suggests as he looks at the building and frowns. _What the hell are they doing in there?_

"Oh golden boy!" Garth mildly calls out as he and Aaron put on their black masks and head toward the closet Jamie was still being held captive in.

_Damn it! _Jamie's mind curses as he hears the car, the footsteps and finally Garth's pet name for him being called out.

"Ah right where we left you," Garth snickers as he finally yanks the tape from Jamie's mouth and pulls out the damp cloth. "Eww gross, get a fresh one."

"No…please…no more," Jamie pants as he hungrily gulps down a few fresh mouthfuls of air, cursing the fact that the tape blindfold was still in place. "Garth…you can't do this…you hafta let me go."

"Who?" Garth smirks.

"I know it's you."

"Prove it."

"Damn it! Just let me go already."

"Thought about my offer?"

"Look I don't get your…"

"Drop out or we drop you in the water."

"So you wanna face jail time for murder because I aced one test over you?" Jamie asks in anger.

"You just don't get it do you."

"No."

"I don't…like YOU!" Garth leans in and shouts at Jamie's face. "I don't have to like you and so I don't."

"I don't care if you don't like me…why the hell are…" Jamie starts sharply only to have Garth lightly slap his mouth, Jamie's head pulling back as his lips sting.

"You have two options and I'm only gonna ask once more. Drop out…or swim with the fishes."

"Neither and that's final."

"Okay then…looks like you'll be spending all night here…just like you are."

"You can't be serious…if I don't show up at home, they'll know…"

"You hafta wait at least twenty-four hours before you can declare someone missing," Garth mocks. "So don't worry, we'll be back here by say…noon tomorrow."

"What? I know its you that kidnapped me!"

"Kidnapped? Nah this could be misconstrued as a hazing prank and not thing more. Besides…I doubt…" Garth leans in closer and presses the tape a bit further down over Jamie's eyes, making him try to jerk his head away in defiance. "You can see through the tape or in the dark or through the black masks…so again…you got no case and well…yeah it sucks to be you!" Garth finishes with a laugh.

"What the hell do you want?" Jamie demands as he squirms in his chair.

"I want you gone – for good!" Garth hisses in anger as he yanks the cloth from Aaron's hand and before Jamie can say another word, shoves it into his mouth and then reaches for the tape.

_NO! Garth…don't do this! _Jamie tries to shout as he hears the tape being ripped away and then firmly pressed down over his mouth.

"And how about a few more!" Garth laughs as he adds a few more pieces and then smoothes them down over Jamie's face before patting his cheek. "I hope you sleep well. See you tomorrow."

_NO! _Jamie tries once again, pulling against the tape bonds as the door is slammed shut and only laughter is heard on the other side. The footsteps die out once again and Jamie slumps back in misery. _Garth…come back…I'll drop out._

Danny looks at his watch and then over at his partner and frowns. "What the hell are they doing in there?"

"Somehow I don't think I wanna know," Demarcus frowns. "You know…maybe it is a date?" He snickers and Danny just rolls his eyes. "Shooting up? I don't know…they've been in there about what fifteen-twenty minutes? I see a small…"

"We wait."

"For what?"

"Any signs of something we should barge in on."

"Okay."

The two of them sit a bit longer in the silence, Danny's agitation growing by the second and his brain racing as to why his brother would even want to come out here.

"Danny…" Demarcus nods about five minutes later.

"Okay hold on here, they come," Danny quickly shushes his partner and watches Garth and Aaron emerge without their masks on. He watches them high five each other and feels his fists tighten.

"Doesn't look suspicious."

"Well whatever it was…I'm willing to bet it was no good," Danny grumbles.

"So plan of action?"

"We wait until they are gone, check the building and then see if we need to go find them again."

"Ah hide and seek…nice."

"Smart ass," Danny smirks under his breath.

He looks at the car Garth and Aaron are in and wonders what on earth they could be doing. However, knowing Garth's less than stellar reputation something inside urges Danny to just wait until he leaves and then go into the building to see what Garth had been up to or if he left anything behind. Also troubling was the fact that Jamie's phone signal died here and Garth was here…too many negative coincidences adding up to an even bigger uneasy feeling. _Something's not right, _Danny ponders as the car finally starts up and then slowly pulls away.

Danny quickly gets out of the car and without making himself known watches Garth slowly leave the dock area and disappear around the corner and out of view.

"Man you're spooked," Demarcus notes.

"What? I don't trust him okay. Do you?"

"No," Demarcus groans as he stands beside Danny in the darkened garage. "Come on man…lets go…this place gives me the creeps."

"Oh so you're afraid of the dark now?" Danny teases his partner as he pulls his phone.

"Again with the rhetorical questions. I don't like it here okay."

Danny mutters under his breath as he calls his father's house once more, asking for Jamie and then pretending he had forgotten that he was told earlier Jamie was at a study group.

_"Danny…what's going on?" Henry asks in haste. "Is Jamie okay?"_

"Yeah he's fine," Danny frowns. "I forgot okay?"

_"Maybe you're brother wouldn't be ignoring you if you were a little nicer to him."_

"Okay I'll try harder," Danny huffs as he tries to hang up. "Grandpa I gotta go."

After he hangs up with Henry he dials Sydney's number once more and then Tom's.

_"No he's still not shown up. You think something's happened?"_

"Nah I think he's at work. No worries," Danny replies in haste, not wanting to cause a big panic before he hangs up, calls Jamie's work and then finally Jamie's home and cell number. "Damn it kid…when I find you I swear I won't need much to want to kick your ass."

"Yeah and you wonder why he's mad at you," Demarcus interjects with a small smirk.

"Let's check inside."

Danny and his partner slowly head toward the darkened buildings, pausing by the spot Garth's car had been parked. Danny looks down and then just before he's about to turn away a small glint caches his eye and he bends down to pick up the shiny object.

"What?"

"Not sure," Danny frowns as he looks at what could be a hard fleck off something with a metallic blue paint job. "Let's go," Danny nods toward the building Garth and Aaron just exited, Danny absently shoving the small object into his coat pocket. He pulls his small flashlight and slowly pulls the door open both of them peering inside.

"It's empty," Demarcus muses with a frown as he and Danny stand in the doorway looking around the small darkened space before them.

"Doesn't smell like anything and no signs of shooting up or foul play."

"So what the hell were they doing in here?" Demarcus asks as he nears the door to the closet Jamie's in. "Maybe I really don't wanna know…you know?"

The unfamiliar man's voice quickly pulls Jamie from his sleepy stupor, his heart rate now soaring once more as to who he was facing now and what they had in mind for him. With the tape pressed down over his eyes he wasn't able to see the bright slit of light coming in from under the door but figures its best to not make a sound in case it wasn't a friendly person on the other side.

Danny looks around, wondering what on earth Garth and Aaron were up to as he wasn't able to see anything left behind to indicate foul play, never guessing for a million years that his captive brother was literally only a few feet away. But just as he takes a step toward the closet to check it out, both he and Demarcus hear a noise outside and Danny quickly turns to see what's up.

"I'll look around here a bit, go see if it's your brother," Demarcus suggests and Danny is quick to nod and take his leave. He heads outside, squinting into the darkness before him and muttering angrily under his breath. "Jamie!" Danny shouts, his anger and frustration mounting. "Am really gonna give that kid a beating when I find him."

"Jamie!"

Jamie hears his name being called and for a few seconds is frozen with panic. But as soon as his brain registers his brother's voice he dares to try to move the chair, instantly drawing the attention of his partner on the other side of the door. Better to face Danny's wrath than to spend the night alone in here and face Garth again in the morning.

Demarcus hears the noise and quickly pulls his gun, the small flashlight resting in his palm as he pulls the door open and stares in horror at the sight before him. "Oh my g... DANNY!"

Danny hears his partner shouting from the building they were just in and races back inside with his gun drawn. He stops a few feet from his partner, the area behind him dark.

"What?"

"Look what I found."

Demarcus steps back and shines his light on the interior of the closet, Danny's world coming to a complete stop at the horrible sight before him.

"Jamie," he utters in a dead whisper.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** So how do you think the reunion is going to go? Tension about to boil over? Jamie didn't see Garth and Danny didn't catch him in the act, how can they get Garth for what he did? And will Jamie tell Danny everything? Will he give in to Garth? Hope you are all still liking this and please review before you go and thanks so much!


	12. Confession is Good for the Soul?

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 12 – Confession is Good for the Soul?**

**A/N: ** Okay so wasn't sure how long to make the Jamie kidnap/rescue play out so hope that Danny finding him when he did was okay but that doesn't mean the angst is over for either of them. So hope you like this update and sorry if I missed my regular weekly updating day – blame RL *sigh*

* * *

><p>Danny stands fixed in time for what seems like forever, just staring at his heavily restrained brother, his mind and heart racing at top speed. Jamie was before him, strapped to the chair with endless tape holding him in place; tape on his eyes, over his mouth, around his chest. Tape…lots of tape…it seemed…almost…endless…<em>This...this isn't possible.<em>

Jamie had heard Danny's voice a few moments earlier, his mind wondering now with the silence that follows if he had just imagined his brother coming to his rescue or if it was just his mind playing cruel tricks and he was indeed stuck in his hellish situation until the morning or even lunch as Garth had threatened.

It's not until Danny hears another soft muffled plea from his brother that he is finally pulled form his morbid stupor and takes action. He instantly shoves his gun back into his holster, hands his partner the other small flashlight, pulls a small knife and then leans in to Jamie's face.

Not hearing any sound but suddenly feel anxious hands around his face, makes Jamie try to pull away as best he can.

"Hey kid…it's me…Jamie it's me…" Danny's voice rushes, a mixture of what he hopes sounds like comfort but more in reality sounds like frustration. "Just hold still," he whispers as he gently peels the moist tape from Jamie's eyes, looking into his scared blue gaze and feeling his teeth clench. He could tell that Jamie had been crying somewhat and could only imagine the fear he had been forced to endure if he were actually to cry.

Danny gently peels the tape from Jamie's face, tugging the cloth and then tossing them both to the floor, allowing Jamie to thankfully take in a few deep breaths.

"Danny…get me out of he…"

"Slow down and just breathe okay? You're safe now," Danny assures Jamie as he starts to cut loose the tape holding his chest and waist pinned to the chair, moving to his thighs, calves and finally his feet. "Okay up you go," Danny gently takes Jamie's arm to help him stand up so that he can cut his wrists free. Jamie feels his legs wanting to buckle but not wanting to show himself weak in front of his brother he bites back a gasp; however it doesn't work and soon his legs start to give way.

"Hey hold on I've got you," Danny quickly grabs Jamie, handing the knife to Demarcus who puts the two small flashlights on the table and holding Jamie as Danny cuts his wrists free, wincing at the marks on his pale skin and knowing that his brother must have put up a hell of a fight.

Wanting to just launch right into a verbal tirade about what happened, Danny looks at the near panicked expression in his brother's warm blue-grey eyes and feels his heart instantly soften; especially with what happens next.

Jamie's stomach which had been churning with anxiety, apprehension and fright, finally gives way, causing Jamie to just take a step to the right, bend over and spew out a few mouthfuls of watery bile; he hadn't even had the chance to eat dinner before all this happened.

"I'm…okay," Jamie insists with a small cough and weak tone.

"Here…sit down a sec," Danny helps Jamie back to the chair so that he can get his heart rate to lower and his limbs to get some feeling back into them. Danny glances back at the tape and utters a whispered cursed before turning back to Jamie with a heavy sigh.

"Sorry," Jamie mumbles in a low tone, not looking up to gaze at Danny's partner hovering over him.

"It's okay," Danny replies with a frown. "Just take a few deep breaths and relax, you're okay now."

Jamie leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his entire frame slightly shaking. But its not until he feels the strong comforting hand of his brother on his back as he offers a few 'shhh its okay now' that he starts to believe he really is safe.

"Okay what happened?" Danny finally dares to ask; not able to take the tormented silence any longer.

"I was going to a friend's house when…two guys in black masks jumped me…tied me up…put me into the trunk and drove me here."

"Black masks?"

"They didn't blindfold me right away. But I um…didn't see their faces," Jamie huffs as he looks down at his chaffed wrists and then back up at Danny. _Can he tell I'm not being entirely honest?_

"Was anything about them familiar? Did they threaten you?"

"No…um…I think it was just a prank you know."

"Did…"

"That was it I swear."

"Did they mention anything about a ransom or the family?"

"No. Can we just leave here already?"

"Jamie..."

"Danny that's it I swear."

"Okay fine…let's get you home," Danny sighs as he gently helps Jamie to his feet and the three of them head outside into the cool night air, Jamie's body instantly feeling the sting from the weather as the dampness on his back collides with the brisk wind, his weary arms clawing at his jacket and trying to pull it tighter around his shivering frame.

"Just drop me at the station," Demarcus mentions as they get into the darkened cruiser, Jamie nearly collapsing in the back but thankful for the heat as it starts to build; the car slowly pulling away from the darkened garage and heading back toward the precinct. Danny glances into the rear view mirror and catches Jamie's nervous expression glancing outside and knows his brother is holding something back. _Come on kid…what aren't you telling me? Do you know who did this?_

The ride to the precinct is spent mostly in silence, neither Danny nor Demarcus saying a word to each other until they arrive at the precinct and both get out, leaving Jamie alone in the back seat.

"Man I know that look."

"He knows somethin'."

"You think Garth and Aaron knew he was in there?"

"I do and I think they put him in there and I think Jamie knows it was them. But if Garth did have a black mask and used it before Jamie was blindfolded it was smart…damn I hate this. Okay lemme talk to Jamie in private and see what he confesses."

"But if it was those two punks unless we have confirmed evidence. I know you kept a piece of that tape but even if you find their prints on it, they could just say they found him like that, teased him and left, doesn't prove they did that to him and while it might be cruel there is no law against teasing and leaving."

"I know…okay I know," Danny huffs as he rubs his face with his hands and then looks toward the car, peering into the backseat and frowning at Jamie. "I'll see you Monday."

"Danny."

"Yeah."

"Just…don't do anything stupid."

"If I go see…anyone you'll be with me."

"Good. See you Monday."

Danny heads back to the car and gets in, closing the door and then turning around and looking at Jamie with a pained expression. "Ready?"

"Look Danny…"

"Yeah?"

"Nothin'."

Danny says nothing but pulls away from the curb and slowly heads away from the precinct but not exactly heading for their father's home either.

"Danny…where are we going? I'm tired and I just wanna go home."

"Well I hate being lied to and I'm in charge," Danny lightly growls, his brain reminding him to keep his anger in check after what his brother had just endured.

"I didn't see anything!" Jamie insists with a growl of his own, his fingers playing with the busted phone he had pulled from his back jeans pocket and had shoved into his inner jacket pocket. "They had masks."

Danny doesn't reply, merely continues on the dimly lit roadway until he turns a corner and then proceeds down an all too familiar path.

"Why are we going here?"

"Because you can't lie here…not in front of them," Danny huffs as he stops his car in the darkened parking lot of the cemetery and then turns to face his brother. "Wanna walk and say hi to mom or do you wanna sit here in this nice warm car and tell me the truth."

"I am telling you the truth. I didn't see their faces. I have no idea…"

"Okay let's go."

"This is ridiculous," Jamie protests as he remains in the warm confines of the car. But Danny pulls open the door, expecting Jamie to get out, waiting for a few seconds before he reaches in and tries to pull Jamie from the car.

"One way or another you're comin' out of that car!" Danny lightly snaps, Jamie just cursing as he gets out. But as soon as he's embraced by the cool night air, he turns on his heel and heads in the other direction, away from Danny, heading back toward the road. "Where are you going?"

"I'll catch a cab home," Jamie retorts as Danny hurries up to him, blocking his path.

"Nice try."

"Danny I'm tired and…"

"I get that and I can see you're about to pass out at any…"

"Don't you care about my feelings? I have been through hell tonight and you…what you just wanna push me so I'll quit is that it?"

"Boy you're thick," Danny grumbles as he shakes his head. "You don't get it do you…I get a frantic call from a guy who says he's your friend…telling me that some other guy has been picking on you at the academy and then you don't show up at his place. I call around and you're nowhere to be found. I trace your cell which leads me to the waterfront and there I find you in a small locked closet and trust me you weren't going anywhere anytime soon! Do you get all that? That's what's pushing me."

"I didn't see their faces," Jamie insists in a frustrated tone. "If I did I would tell you."

"Would you?"

"I would," Jamie huffs as he pulls back from Danny, walks a few feet and then stops; his back still to his brother. "Can we please just go home?" He begs in a tormented tone, Danny's heart offering a painful skip.

"Do you have any idea was it was like to get that call and…"

"I was scared sh…really scared okay!" Jaime shouts, holding back his angry curse as he heads for the police car, this time getting into the front seat and slamming the door shut; his actions making Danny slightly jump.

"Damn it," Danny mutters under his breath as he heads for the car and gets into the front seat, pausing before he turns it back on. "I was scared too okay? Getting that call…heading down to the waterfront, not seeing you there and then finding you in that closet. I saw you were scared and I get that. But I know you're holding something back."

"I honestly didn't see their faces and even if I knew who it was it wouldn't matter would it?"

"Was it Garth Robinson?" Danny asks directly.

Jamie looks at him and frowns heavily, his instant facial reaction betraying his thoughts to his oldest sibling. "That's only my guess by his voice but I swear Danny I didn't see his face."

Danny looks at Jamie's expression and knows he's telling the truth; the mixture of fear and uncertainty in his warm blue eyes was making it hard for Danny's irate inclination to linger; compassion toward his youngest sibling was rising to the fore.

"Do you have any idea why they kidnapped you tonight?"

"Kidnapped? No…it was a prank…there was no ransom or anything."

"Not every kidnapping requires a ransom," Danny correctly reminds Jamie, making Jamie remember part of Garth's taunt about killing him. "And when they were in the…"

"Wait how'd you…you saw them?" Jamie asks weakly and Danny instantly curses himself mentally.

"We followed your cell phone and…"

"You let them taunt me like that?" Jamie's voice raises.

"We didn't know it was you okay!" Danny counters sharply. "Trust me had I know you were in there when they were there I would have taken action! Now what did he want?"

"Just to be an ass okay!"

Danny looks at Jamie and feels his stomach tighten. "What aren't you telling me?"

"How about you start telling me how it is your friends with this guy?"

"Pardon? I am not friends with…"

"He said you two have some kind of deal and this was payback. Yeah that's right he's hurting me because of you."

"He said that?"

"What happened Danny?"

"Oh and if I tell you how I know him you'll tell me why he did this? And I mean really did this?"

"Fine," Jamie begrudgingly admits; his mind racing as to whether he'd actually tell Danny the threat or just about leaving him there overnight. Danny gives Jamie a questioning glance and then pulls his phone.

"First things first," he mutters as he quickly texts Tom and tells him that Jamie is okay and that he'd see him on Monday. "You got a good friend there."

"I know," Jamie agrees with a small sigh. "Did you put them up to this?"

"Up to what? You better be straight with me here kid…what the hell's been goin' on?" Danny asks sharply and then quickly bites his tongue and looks away shaking his head.

"I didn't ask to be kidnapped okay? I went to Tom's and they jumped me."

"For what reason? Just to be jerks? Really? They have nothing else better to do than to say 'hey lets kidnap Jamie Reagan _for no reason_ and leave him in a place that smells like fish guts again _for no reason_."

"They did it for you!"

"Do you honestly think I would do something like that? Because if you do we got bigger problems than their motive. Sure we used to play cowboys and Indians but this is grown up stuff and when I found you the way I did it wasn't funny. Answer me. Do you think I put them up to that?" Danny asks pointedly.

Jamie looks at the expression on his brother's face but knows in his mind and heart that no matter what Danny would never be that cruel to him. "No," Jamie replies meekly.

"No…good because I never would and I hope inside you believe that."

"I do but…I just heard Garth say something to Aaron about this being for big brother…but I didn't hear everything and…no I don't think you would," Jamie sighs as he leans back a bit more in the seat and then looks over at Danny – waiting for an answer.

"A few months back Demarcus and I were on a call…it wrapped up and we got another call that there had been a robbery in the area that involved a stabbing. We were a few blocks away and said we'd respond. We pull up, no medics on the scene but a few bystanders told us the whole story. A guy went into the small grocery store, pulled a knife and then stabbed the cashier when he wouldn't give them any money."

"The guy was Garth?"

"No, hold on. So then this guy comes up to us dressed as a cop, says he's a rookie and was in the store when the guy with the knife came in and wants permission to pursue. I started to question this so called _rookie_ and boy…well lemme tell ya he was the worst cop I had met in a long time. All he did was shoot his mouth off, act like a jack ass and be more proud about being there but had nothing to say about the suspect except that he gave him a fat lip before he got away and now felt he owed it to the city to go and find him and pummel him into the ground."

"The suspect got away?"

"Well Garth didn't have a real gun," Danny groans. "So when I asked him…" Danny's mind drifts back to the night a few months ago he met Garth:

_'What the hell are you doing? You're writing down my badge number?'_

_'Be happy that's all I'm doing. Now what's your name rookie?'_

_'Look I saw the guy…'_

_'You saw a guy about medium height and olive colored skin; yeah that helps. You just described half the city of Manhattan. You say you fought with him but all you remember is the grand feeling of busting his lip open and no specific details that we can make a call out on. Oh and then he got away and you wanna go after him why? Right no reason. __You didn't help the cashier, a bystander had to and then when we arrived you were standing here talking to your lost in space lookin' friend.'_

_'Hey whatever!' Aaron growls as Demarcus leans in. _

_'So I am writing down your badge number so that tomorrow when I call the station and ask for your TO they'll know exactly who I'm talkin' about.'_

_'You can't call them.'_

_'Why the hell not? That witness over there saw more than you and you fought with him. You need a basics refresher about profiling a suspect and I'm gonna see to it that you get one.' Danny stated firmly, not caring about the on-looking crowd._

_'You some kinda hotshot, calling the shots? Huh big man? You can't tell me what to do.'_

_'Yeah I can. Now w__hat is the name of your TO, rookie?'_

_'Come on Garth, let's just go. This guy's not worth it.'_

_'Hey hold on a sec, you two aren't going anywhere. This is a working crime scene. You do know that right?'_

_'So I can just…like write a report or somethin'. You don't give me orders.'_

_'Actually…I do. I'm the senior officer on site and that means you report to me. Now what is the name of your TO?'_

_'Danny!'_

_'What?'_

_'He doesn't have a TO,' Demarcus finally popped up._

_'What the hell does that mean? No way this guy is past year one.'_

_'Garth Robinson is not a cop.'_

_'You have about two seconds to tell me what the hell's going on or else I'm gonna arrest you for impersonating a cop and trust me I'm angry enough to do it.'_

_'He's enrolled in the PA,' Demarcus explained._

_'What? Are you serious? Kid you're in a lot of trouble here,' Danny growled._

_'Look I saved that guy. So don't go all high and mighty on me jus…'_

_'Right okay here's how it's gonna work. My partner is gonna take your statement and then you are going to go home, take off that uniform and throw it out. And if I ever see you on the streets pretending to be something you're not, I'll arrest you on the spot.'_

_'You can't treat me this way…do you know who my father is?'_

_'Ah okay you wanna try to pull rank? Robinson right? Well here's some free advice. I'd deal with me because if you were to deal with my father, let's just say you and your father would be on street cleaning detail for the guys on horseback so fast it would make my head spin.'_

_'Whatever.'_

_'Detective Reagan?' Another officer then interrupted._

_'Yeah take his statement and then get him outta here.'_

_'Reagan?' Garth sneers, making Danny turn back to him. 'So that's why you think you're a big shot.'_

_'No I'm just older.'_

_'I'll make you sorry for this.'_

_'Pardon? Listen you wanna be a cop fine…stop playing dress-up, go to school and learn to be a real one,' Danny growled, a few people standing by snickering. 'Get him outta here.'_

_'You'll pay for this Reagan…one way or another I promise you.'_

_'Demarcus.'_

_'Now I either heard a threat or just hot air from a buffoon,' Demarcus reminded Garth._

_'Garth,' Aaron hissed. 'Let's leave…this clown isn't' worth it.'_

_'Ah another winner.'_

"Wow he really said all that?"

"Then I turned and left and never saw him again. I swear to you that I thought he'd try to get back at me somehow, but as the days turned into weeks and the weeks to months I forgot all about it. He wasn't worth my time."

"So because of you he's now targeting me," Jamie mentions in a sobering tone, making Danny's heart shatter and his Jamie turn away in sorrow.

"I swear I didn't know. But I wish you had told me sooner."

"I didn't want to appear weak."

Danny shakes his head but mostly at himself. He didn't know Jamie was being targeted for his actions and now feels guilt creeping up on him for riding him so hard or coming on to strong. "So there is no way then that we can connect them to tonight?"

"Actually, I think one of them took a picture," Jamie suddenly remembers.

"Really? Okay good to know. Come on let's get you home."

"I'm sorry."

"The only thing you need to be sorry about is not telling me sooner but under the circumstances I guess I can't really blame you."

"So you're not mad?"

"Oh I'm mad…but not at you," Danny assures him as they slowly pull away, Danny's mind now racing at his next move on how to get back at Garth and what he'd put in place going forward to ensure that nothing like tonight ever happened again. But at the same time he can't help but feel that Jamie's holding something back.

Jamie looks at his brother and frowns; feeling a small pang of relief inside but at the same time wondering about holding back the threat about leaving the academy. But if Danny was to now do something would that mean Garth would back off for good? Or would this now make matters worse?

But as they finally leave the cemetery both of them can't help but ponder the unanswerable question now guilting them both - _What have I done?_

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** So some tension is gonna simmer a bit more but for the most part Jamie knows the incident and Danny knows to what lengths Garth will stoop. So what will Danny do next? And will that make Garth back off? Or get him even angrier? Hope you are all still with me and please do review before you go.

**PS:** Remember to check out my forums – just posted info about the season 2 finale :)


	13. A Rough Ride Ahead

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 13 – A Rough Ride Ahead**

**A/N: **Okay so as per the notes in my last eppy one shot (Waiting to Exhale) RL has taken its toll so am behind on this and a few other things and do apologize but hope you like this update and thanks

* * *

><p>"Danny…pull over," Jamie lightly begs just as they leave the entrance to the darkened cemetery; Danny quickly pulling the car over and Jamie hopping out and throwing up a bit more, his stomach starting to ease after his tense confession with Danny.<p>

"Sorry," Jamie mutters as he stands up and feels a pang of dizziness starting to overtake him.

"Come here a sec," Danny guides him over to a small bench and both sit down. "You're over heated…we'll sit here until you feel cold."

"Cold?"

"Trust me, works with the boys every time, 'sides I think you need to just take a few more deep breaths after…well everything you went through tonight."

Jamie nods before turning his gaze and staring out into the darkness before him, his core on fire and the cool breeze actually feeling soothing. Danny looks over at Jamie and notices his hands slightly shaking and frowns.

"Put your hands in your pockets," Danny gently directs to which Jamie quickly complies. "Why didn't…" Danny starts sharply and then stops. "Well it explains your attitude the past few weeks."

"I thought you were working with them or something."

"Why on earth would you think that?"

"Something Garth had said and then that text…"

"What text?"

"From you…you know the break a leg and the weeks not over yet."

"It was…" Danny shakes his head as he looks at the defeated expression on his youngest siblings face. "You want me to admit that I wanted you to stay in Harvard? Fine I do…but I've never been secretive about it. And if I wanted to kick your ass I wouldn't have to work with those two clowns to do it."

"I want this Danny…I really do," Jamie insists as he feels his stomach starting to lurch. But this time he merely coughs, nothing left inside to come out. With a heavy sigh he slumps back on the bench and looks up at the slightly clouded over night sky.

"I do wanna believe that."

"But?" Jamie slightly presses with a small exasperated sigh.

"But nothin'…you're grown up and…whatever right?" Danny sighs as he pushes himself up from the bench and walks into the cool night air a few more feet, casting his brother a brief sideways glance prompting his mind to show him Jamie bound and gagged in the small closet; his fists automatically tightening. The fact that he felt anger at Garth when he and Aaron emerged from the would be shack and gave each other a high five, was starting to gain greater angry momentum; his mind wanting nothing more than to walk up to Garth and punch him right in the face.

But Jamie was blindfolded and as Demarcus has reminded him, although cruel, there was no law against finding a person restrained, taunting them and leaving them; he would be charged with assault if he did hit Garth while Garth walked away laughing – this had to be handled carefully but properly to ensure Garth really got what he deserves.

He turns back to Jamie and feels his frame slightly sag, his heart wanting to just lock him away someplace safe and ensure he was never harmed again. But that wasn't to be – Jamie has to make his own decisions and live his own life, no matter the personal mental turmoil.

"I tried to fight back," Jamie utters in a soft tone as Danny wanders back to the bench and slumps down beside him, noticing him finally starting to slightly shiver.

"I'm sure you did," Danny nods.

"Even when he threatened to throw me in the river I tried to fight back."

"He what?" Danny asks in shock, slightly raising from the bench but then slumping back down. "Why the hell did he threaten you? What aren't you telling me?"

"He didn't do it…I'm sure it was a lame scare tactic," Jamie stammers.

"Did it work? Where you scared?" Danny retorts in sarcasm. "Tell me Jamie, right now."

"Look I never saw his face Danny…but I know it was Garth."

"Why did he threaten you?"

"It was a prank okay! He's an ass who doesn't like me because of you! How the hell many times do I hafta say it? It's your fault!"

Danny shakes his head but instantly bites his tongue before carefully answering. "I did not tell them to do that," Danny assures him as he leans in a bit closer before standing up and then gently helping his overly cooperative brother to his feet. "You hungry?"

"I can make something home I guess…" Jamie frowns as he pulls back. "Danny you hafta promise me you won't tell dad."

"Why not? I think he has the right to know what's…"

"Please Danny, I gotta do this on my own."

"See that's where you're wrong and that's part of why I don't think you're ready for this. Sure being a lawyer you can go it alone and be the lone wolf and that works; being a cop is about having a partner and relying on them. That kid Tom…he did the right thing, he called for help, which is something you should have done as soon as this all started!" Danny half shouts and then steps back, taking a deep breath and then frowning at his brother's exasperated expression.

"I don't want to run to dad every time something goes wrong!"

"You get a parking ticket you handle on your own…you get kidnapped and threatened with death you DON'T!" Danny half finishes with a shout.

"I'm sorry I told you anything."

"Hey kid I saved your ass tonight!" Danny retorts angrily as he grabs Jamie's arm and pulls him back. "What would have happened if those two clowns had returned and you were still trussed up like a thanksgiving turkey?"

"He said he would let me go," Jamie lies.

"He did?" Danny challenges, looking directly at his brother. "Just like that…no strings attached?"

Jamie looks at Danny and feels his whole frame stand on edge, his mind racing to tell his brother about Garth's ultimatum. But something Danny said had finally rung true – he wasn't in this alone and he had better start getting into the mentality that he would be going into a profession where you had rely on others or it would mean your life.

"What the hell aren't you telling me and trust me I'm running out of patience. I gave you the backstory and now you owe me the truth!"

Jamie feels his brain reminding him that Danny was right, he did tell Jamie the truth about his past with Garth and now he owes it to his brother to tell him the whole story.

"He wants me to drop out."

"What? Garth does?" Danny looks at Jamie in surprise as Jamie nods.

"That's why he did this tonight…that's why he's been acting the way he has since day one."

"Day one…" Danny ponders with a small huff. "So he kidnaps you, threatens to toss you into the river tied up and what else?"

"No big deal."

"WHAT!" Danny demands before he backs down again; his emotions on a frightful unending roller coaster ride.

"NOTHING!"

"Kid you better tell me."

"Why the hell do you care huh? You're acting all protective and stuff now but once this dies down you'll be back to wishing I'd secretly drop out; you're no better than THEM!" Jamie shouts as he turns and storms away, reaching the edge of the darkened highway and stopping; Danny still a few meters back fixed in place.

"Jamie…" Danny calls out in frustration.

"I'm gonna walk!" Jamie stubbornly retorts.

"You know what…fine, walk...it'll do you good," Danny tosses his hands up in the air and then gets into the car. Jamie turning to watch and then feeling shock and panic seize him as Danny drives past him and rounds the corner a few meters up, disappearing from view.

"Damn it!" Jamie curses as he feels the darkness starting to suffocate around him; his cold fingers frantically clawing at his jacket, pulling it closer and trying to keep his trembling frame somewhat heated. The road was dark and deserved, adding to his miserable mood.

"I just want to fight this battle on my own," Jamie grumbles to himself as he starts to pick up the pace, the eerie sounds from the forest taunting the youngest Reagan; laughing at his misguided arrogance. "Why can't Danny see that?" He huffs as he slows his pace, his chest now heaving and his empty stomach begging for something…anything to ease the acidic tsunami raging inside. _He can see that, _his brain correctly reminds him, _but he also wants to help...why can't you see that?_

"Danny…come back," Jamie utters in sorrow as he stops for a few seconds, shakes his head and then stumbles, falling to his knees and resting in place as he quickly bats away a few ensuing tears. He slumps back down to his butt, his energy all but spent and cursing the fact that his phone was busted and unable to even call for a cab. But before his despair can blossom into full fledge guilty remorse, he watches a car slowly round the bend and head toward him.

Jamie scrambles to get to his feet as the car slows, bathing him in bright lights before Danny finally emerges. Without so much as uttering more than a frustrated sigh, Danny heads toward his brother, helps him upright and then steers him toward the car, his fingers tightening as he feels Jamie trying to pull free.

"Seriously kid I will cuff you for the hell of it if you don't get in this damn car," Danny mentions in a calm even tone; Jamie finally complying and getting into the warm car.

"I was gonna walk."

"Martyr," Danny quips as he slowly turns the car around and they head back toward the city. "Okay fine you wanna keep some of the details all to you…"

"Wouldn't you? And don't say no because I know you would," Jamie dares.

"For certain things perhaps; but blackmail? So he kidnaps you and then says he'll let you go if you drop out? Am I getting the gist right?"

"Yes," Jamie resigns with a groan.

"Yes," Danny repeats as they near the edge of the city.

Jamie watches Danny turn to the right and then quickly looks over at his brother in wonder.

"You're hungry," Danny merely comments as he pulls up to the front of a small diner and both get out. Danny looks over at Jamie and gives him a sharp glance that says come in or else, causing his brother to numbly get out of the car and follow him into the diner; the two of them taking a small booth at the back. Danny had already called Linda and Frank and told him he was helping Jamie and they'd catch a bite at a local diner – everything was okay.

Jamie absently takes the menu but doesn't look at it, instead his mind takes him back into the _small, dark closet; _his eyes slightly misting _as he feels the tape being wound around his chest, trapped arms and the chairs._

"Can't…breathe," Jamie lightly gasps, snapping Danny's attention across the booth.

_The tape seemed endless, the ripping sound going on and on and on….forever. _

"Danny…"

"Just take a deep breath okay…focus on me," Danny's voice encourages, drawing Jamie's watery gaze to meet his.

_More tape around his mouth, sealing his lips, making it impossible to call for help. Over his eyes, pressed down…his fear intensifying._

"Danny I can't…"

"Take a sip of the cold water and just focus okay," Danny calmly instructs, his protective paranoia now shifting gears from frustrated to fatherly. "That's it…take another and just relax. He can't hurt you again okay?"

"He's gonna be pissed when he comes back tomorrow and I'm not there," Jamie rushes in haste, an almost wild-eye panic starting to flare up in his soft blue-grey eyes.

"Yeah well that'll be his problem."

"No Danny," Jamie groans as he sags further into the booth, the waitress finally coming to get their order. "I still hafta see him on Monday," he hisses through clenched teeth as he looks away.

"You want me to put you back there?" Danny retorts offhandedly. But as he further ponders Jamie's statement he realizes his brother is right, Garth's plan was to leave Jamie there over night, showing how serious he was and then come back expecting Jamie to give him his own verbal resignation. Either way they now would need a new plan of attack to keep Garth at bay and Jamie in the academy.

"No," Jamie replies simply, Danny pursing his lips as he didn't even expect an answer to his rhetorical question. "I want him expelled or transferred or something…" Jamie groans as he folds his arms on the table and slumps his head down on them.

Danny's mind starts to mull over all the possibilities before him. Even if he had a picture on Garth's or Aaron's phone it would simply mean circumstantial evidence at this time; he didn't need to hear Erin telling him that to know it. Jamie was blindfolded so couldn't visually put Garth and Aaron on the spot and he had only seen Garth coming from the building but hadn't witnessed Garth actually kidnapping Jamie. Was he stuck?

"Damn it," Danny curses under his breath, making Jamie look up in wonder. "He's played this pretty smart…all we'd have is circumstantial – your word against his."

"Which would me he'd still be able to make my life hell and I'd get…"

"Nothing but a major headache dealing with that loser," Danny growls as he takes a sip of his freshly brewed coffee; Jamie opting for only water at this point.

"So all that…was for nothing," Jamie sighs as he pulls out his busted phone and stares at it in miserable silence. "I endure hell…and he…he walks away laughing."

Danny hears the misery in Jamie's voice and feels his fingers automatically tighten around the handle of the coffee mug. "We need to catch him in the act," Danny voices without thinking.

"You want me to get kidnapped again?" Jamie retorts with a sharp outburst, drawing a few wondering glances in their direction.

"Keep it down," Danny groans as he pulls his badge at the two men staring at them intently. "Got a problem gentlemen? Yeah didn't think so."

The two men merely nods their heads and go back about their business as Danny shoves his badge back into his pocket and gives Jamie a warning glance to not do that again.

"Well it's what you were suggesting right?"

"No it was not. I wouldn't ask you to endure that again," Danny tries to argue in return; knowing he'd have hell to pay from his father from even entertaining the idea of using Jamie as bait. "We'll figure something out," Danny huffs as their dinner finally arrives.

The two of them automatically fall into silence as they start to slowly pick away at their modest suppers; Danny's mind trying to come up with Jamie-less strategies for catching Garth in the act and Jamie wondering how Danny could finger Garth without his involvement. Neither came up with an answer that left Jamie out of the picture.

Despite the fact that his stomach at first had started to rebel as Jamie carefully pecks at his food he starts to feel some relief from his churning insides; the rest starting to settle about ten minutes later. He was more than relieved that Danny had found him and rescued him from Garth's clutches but he didn't think for one minute that that meant he was now going to get a reprieve from Garth's wrath. Would Garth's pride allow him such a failure?

The two of them finish mostly in silence, making some small talk about the game that was on the modest sized TV and how Danny's meatloaf didn't come close to Linda's.

"How ya feelin'?" Danny asks Jamie after he pays the bill and the get ready to exit the small diner.

"Better…thanks," Jamie mumbles as they both shuffle out of the booth and head for the front door. Before they reach the passenger side, Jamie stops and turns to Danny with a serious expression. "You do believe me right?"

"About Garth? Yes…"

"No, about wanting to be a cop, like you and Joe and dad," Jamie corrects. "That I want to for me. You believe me right?"

Danny looks at Jamie and realizes he can't lie; so resigns and nods in compliance. "It's in the blood and I get that."

"It's not in Erin's."

"Yeah well she's a girl…" Danny smirks. "That'll be our secret," he kinda whispers and Jamie's face relaxes for the first time in hours. "I do believe you and I think you'll be a great cop. And we'll get this dumbass Garth and he'll be sent to street cleaning or something."

"Really you think that?"

"Sure I got connections," Danny winks.

"No I mean you really think I'll be a great cop? Like you and Joe?"

"Well…I don't know if anyone's as great as me," Danny playfully boasts before his face turns serious again. "Like I said…it's in the blood and we come from good stock, of course I believe that. Now let's get you home before you literally fall over."

"Okay," Jamie weakly replies as he gets into the car and closes the door. "I'm sorry I didn't come to you sooner."

"Yeah well that's in the blood as well," Danny lighlty groans. "But do you believe I want to help you?"

"I...do."

Despite the night of hell he had endured, something inside was comforted by Danny's few words of confidence in his professional future, making him feel validated for his career choice. Was it something just said to soothe his mind? Possibly. But it was what he needed to hear and he'd find some small measure of solace in that in the coming hours when the predicated nightmares would start to eat away at him alone in the dark.

The ride to their family home is once again spent mostly in silence; each of them trying to forecast what to expect from Garth Robison in the coming days.

"You gonna be okay tonight?"

"I'm not a baby Danny," Jamie slightly frowns as they pull up to the darkened Reagan home.

"That's not what I meant," Danny quickly corrects. "You told me you didn't want me to tell dad and I'm gonna respect that at this present moment…but I do promise you that if something else happens and he calls me on it I will tell him no matter what you say."

"Fair enough," Jamie agrees softly. "I just hope we can figure out a way to get this all resolved and fast, I have a few more physical exams and such and I gotta do well on them," Jamie aimlessly rattles off, not realizing that he was just feeding Danny more pieces of the puzzle. "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah kid…goodnight," Danny answers as he sits back on the seat of the darkened police cruiser, watching his brother walk toward the house with slumped shoulders, before puling his phone and calling his partner.

_"What else did he say?"_

"That's about it but I think he's telling the truth. But it pisses me off that we have nothing on this guy that is concrete evidence," Danny hisses in anger. "I want him dealt with."

_"And I get that. Seeing Jamie the way we did tonight and now hearing you say he was gonna be left overnight makes me want to ring his neck just as much but…"_

"Yeah we gotta do things properly because none of us can put him in the middle of the damn action without his consent. And trust me he was against that," Danny curses, his eyes fixed on the room Jamie was sleeping in, watching the light turn on and a few minutes later go dark again. "I gotta make this right."

_"This isn't your fault."_

"Try telling that to my kid brother. He said Garth was doing this to get back at me. The way I found him tonight...hearing his tone...how can I not feel responsible?"

_"Okay…so what do we have so far?"_

Danny talks to Demarcus a bit longer before finally pulling away from the curb and heading for home, a new plan of attack finally coming to the fore and time to get home and get off this hellish emotional roller coaster. Tomorrow was gonna be telling for all of them; Monday, however, would be the real test.

XXXXXXXX

Garth and Aaron arrive mid-Sunday morning the same place they had been the night before; the dirty, fish smelling shack; pulling up outside and then getting out, no one around as per the normal.

"Let's go see how our little captive slept last night," Garth snickers as he slaps Aaron on the back and hands him the black ski mask.

"Man I'll bet he was scared and didn't sleep a wink," Aaron answers with an uncaring tone as they enter the small building and both pull on their ski masks

The two of them near the closet, nothing looking out of place; Aaron grabbing the door handle while Garth stands in front, his arms folded across his chest and ready to laugh at Jamie's predicament. However, as soon as the door is pulled open the sight that awaits them isn't the same as the night before.

"What the hell?"

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> Okay so what/who do you think Garth found? And what will be the aftermath for Jamie on Monday? And how do you think family dinner will go this time? Please do review before you go and thanks so much!


	14. Secrets

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 14 – Secrets**

* * *

><p>Jamie slowly slips into the darkened quiet house, kicks off his shoes and tries to head to his bedroom unnoticed; it doesn't completely work.<p>

"Busy night son?" Frank's warm voice entreats, forcing Jamie to slightly jump and utter a small gasp.

"Dad…you scared me…sorry I didn't see you," Jamie gently stammers as he leans against the doorframe to the living room.

"Danny called here looking for you earlier…everything okay?"

"He did? I um…yeah I dropped my phone and it broke," Jamie nervously fishes around for his phone before showing his father and then stuffing it back into his backpack; the backpack that Garth had left inside the small closet.

"Everything okay?"

"Sure um…with what?" Jamie wonders.

"With school…you and Danny."

"Yeah…sure…everything's fine," Jamie nods and swallows at the same time. "Just tired you know."

"Did you have supper?"

"Yeah I had to stop by um...work and Danny came to get me and we had dinner. It's all okay."

"If something is bothering you...or if there is something feuding between you and Danny..."

"No...we're good," Jamie insists in haste. "Just tired."

"Sure. Goodnight son."

"Night dad."

Frank watches Jamie leave and frowns; a feeling inside was telling him that something wasn't right but he could only push Jamie so far without it backfiring. So tells himself that observation now was the key; observed and then move in.

Jamie closes the door to his bedroom, takes off his jacket and then literally collapses onto his bed. He utters a small grunt as he rolls under the covers, his mind trying desperately to erase the past few hours but knowing inside his gut that the night ahead was to be fraught with horrible nightmares courtesy of Garth Robinson. And that gut feeling would be right.

XXXXXXXX

Garth and Aaron arrive mid-Sunday morning the same place they had been the night before; the dirty, fish smelling shack; pulling up outside and then getting out, no one around as per the normal.

"Let's go see how our little captive slept last night," Garth snickers as he slaps Aaron on the back and hands him the black ski mask.

"Man I'll bet he was scared and didn't sleep a wink," Aaron answers with an uncaring tone as they enter the small building and both pull on their ski masks.

"Well I hope he's ready to give in."

The two of them near the closet, nothing looking out of place; Aaron grabbing the door handle while Garth stands in front, his arms folded across his chest and ready to laugh at Jamie's predicament. However, as soon as the door is pulled open the sight that awaits them isn't the same as the night before.

"What the hell?" Garth hisses in anger at the items that await him. Jamie was gone, replaced with a pile of duct tape snipping's below a picture of himself taken at from his Police Academy ID and taped beneath a heading that read: _'wanted for kidnapping_.'

"Oh damn," Aaron curses as he looks at Garth in shock. "Man...this is bad."

"He's gonna pay for this…golden boy is gonna pay for this!" Garth growls as his fist slams into the nearby closet door, nearly breaking it.

"Let's go."

"How he the hell did he get out of all that!"

"I don't know but um...I don't want to find out. Let's go."

"He'll pay for defying me!"

"Come on man…let's get the hell outta here," Aaron advises.

"I wanna know how the hell he got out!"

"I don't know but…we need to haul ass outta here!" Aaron reminds him as he looks back outside, nervous wondering if they were being watched. "Someone musta saw us."

"He tells anyone and he's dead!"

"Garth…what?"

"You heard me!" Garth growls as he turns and glares angrily at Aaron. "Dead!"

"Okay man look…I backed you for some of this stuff but um…dead? You're kidding right?"

But without saying another word, Garth's fist hits the door once more, this time making it bounce against the wall and slam back into its doorframe with a loud bang.

From his hidden vantage point Danny watches Garth exit the door and quickly removes himself and hurries after him, his heart racing from the threat and his fists wanting to get around Garth's neck, ring it and then punch him in the face a few times; before kicking his ass – literally.

_"Where are you going?" Demarcus asks in haste from his hidden vantage point._

"I'm going after that jackass," Danny curses with a heavy sigh.

_"Wait a minute on that…don't do anything rash to ruin this."_

"He just threatened my brother!" Danny growls.

_"Well…he threatened someone. He didn't mention names."_

"Damn it," Danny groans as he watches Garth's car peel away and then just shakes his head. "Do you record all that?" Danny asks over his phone as he pulls out a small camera.

_"Loud and clear. You get your stuff?"_

"Yeah," Danny frowns. "We might not be able to pin this on him yet but I heard the threat and if he tries something again, he'll really pay."

_"A death threat? Danny that's serious business."_

"I'm not laughing. Come on, let's go."

XXXXXXXX

Jamie lies in bed, his mind remember Danny telling him that he'd take care of it and not to go back to the pier, but to go to school on Monday as normal. He gazes over at his bag on the floor before reaching for the cordless home phone and calling Tom.

_"So you really okay or what?" Tom asks._

Jamie's free hand automatically rests on his tender ribs from where Garth had kicked him the night before and frowns; his mind begging him not to tell that he was once again feeling the ill effects of Garth Robinson's wrath.

"Yeah am fine. I was um…mugged and my phone broke…sorry about all that."

_"Jamie…"_

"Tom really…it's okay."

_"Did it have anything to do with Garth?"_

"He's just a jerk."

_"He's a jerk with means. You better watch yourself around him," Tom warns firmly. _

"Yeah I will. How'd last night go?"

Jamie talks to Tom a bit longer before he calls Sydney, Danny having told him that he had called her also.

_"So where were you really last night?"_

"I told you my phone broke and I had to work but I got um…mugged on the way there. Yeah am okay…how was your night?"

_"Jamie…"_

"Really I'm fine. They didn't take anything, just broke my phone. I'll get a new one today. So how was dinner with your sister last night? What's life like in London these days?"

Jamie concludes his conversation with Sydney, cementing a date for the following weekend and then tells himself it's time to finally get up and get the day started. Last Sunday he almost feared Danny's presence at family dinner because of the tension that was allowed to fester between the two of them the preceding week. But tonight his anxiety at seeing Danny would be for a different reason – wanting to know if he was there when Garth went back to check on him.

After his shower, Jamie heads into the kitchen to help his grandfather with breakfast and just relax.

"Hey kid…sleep well?" Henry greets Jaime with a warm smile.

"Yeah," Jamie answers as he heads for the counter to pour himself some coffee.

"How's Sydney?"

"We're going out next weekend, hopefully," Jamie frowns. "She still talks about this great job that that loud mouthed Jake took with some firm and how when she told her parents they were impressed. But that didn't last too long and we talked about her sister and stuff…I don't know…" Jamie pauses as he takes a sip of his hot coffee, drawing Henry's gaze in his direction.

"Still having doubts huh."

"Yeah and here I thought it was usually the bride that gets cold feet," Jamie smirks, bringing a small chuckle to Henry's lips.

"A good remedy for cold feet is..."

The two of them enjoy some friendly banter until Frank joins them; Jamie doing everything in his power to keep the conversation away from school or any of the events the night before; knowing that Danny had called home a few times checking to see if he was there. Breakfast goes off without a hitch; afterwards he then heads to his room to try to study, wanting to get his mind back on track for the following day.

But every few minutes, he'd glance upward at the clock and his time to concentrate on anything other than what happened when Garth arrived and found he was missing – was moot. He just had to know from Danny what went down. He had already tried Danny once and after having only gotten his voice mail, decided to wait.

"I'm going to get a new phone, be back in about an hour," Jamie calls out as he takes his leave, heading outside into the crisp fall air. As much as he tries to tell himself that Danny would handle Garth in whatever way he deemed appropriate, he can't help but now get the creepy feeling that he's being watched – followed even? He nervously looks around, not really seeing anything too out of place and then looking forward again toward his destination.

_"You are gonna pay Reagan," Garth hisses under his breath as he watches Jamie from a distance. _He had dropped off Aaron and proceeded alone – his mind reeling after he had returned to find Jamie missing and a stupid picture there waiting instead. _"Whoever set you free is gonna be sorry!" _He growls loudly as he pounds his fist into the steering wheel and then pulls back; his car still hidden from Jamie's viewpoint.

Jamie disappears into the phone store, his anxiety easing during his shopping and then finally dissipating as he steps back outside and heads for home. The feeling he had earlier of being watched had somewhat lessened, but the calm feeling he had experienced in the store not more than five minutes ago was disappearing in favor of blossoming turmoil. _I know it was you Garth, _Jamie's mind groans as he heads back toward the bus stop. _Well I'm not going to let you beat me! _His mind utters with silent conviction.

However, that conviction is suddenly rendered moot, when a car matching the same one that Garth had locked him in the night before drives by and his anxiety skyrockets. The driver was a woman and it wasn't exactly identical, but it was close enough to send his heart all aflutter – and not for the right reasons.

"Damn it," Jamie curses himself as he gets onto the bus, trying to convince his mind to focus on the coming school week when they'd be doing their preliminary gun training and not on what stupid stuff Garth Robinson was up to. He reaches home in time to stow his new phone and jacket in his bedroom and then join his father and grandfather in the kitchen as they prepare dinner for their family that would be arriving soon.

About half hour later, Jamie watches as Danny pulls up and his family slowly piles out; Jamie's lips automatically offering a smile as he watches the two boys teasing their father about something; his mind frantically wondering if he'd ever have a loving family to call his own as Danny has.

"Anyone home?" Danny calls out with a smirk as he pushes the door open and watches Jamie appear from the kitchen with something to set on the table. "Hey kid," Danny tries to greet as normally as he would.

"Hey," Jamie tosses back a casual smile as his two nephews rush toward him, each with their own story to tell their adoring uncle. Jamie patiently listens to their stories and then tries to break free to talk to Danny; but each time his progress is impeded by another family member and soon it was time to sit down and enjoy their meal. After grace is said and the portions started to be handed out, Frank glances over at Jamie and notices him barely picking at his meal, even last week he seemed a bit more upbeat; tonight he actually seems – nervous?

"So Jamie…" Frank starts, forcing Jamie to instantly look up, feeling all eyes upon him. "What's on deck for this coming week?"

"We are starting on the um…the gun stuff," Jamie replies honestly, his two nephew's instantly plying him with questions about what kinds of guns he'd be shooting, what would he be shooting at and when would he be as good as their father.

"He's got a long way to go before he can shoot like me," Danny teases, drawing a small eye roll from Linda and a smirk from Jamie.

"You know no Reagan has gotten anything less than a perfect score when it comes to marksmanship," Henry boasts.

"Yeah no pressure kid," Danny winks at Jamie, making him purse his lips and his frown deepen.

"Way to go pop," Frank chides. "Shooting an unmoving target in a controlled setting isn't what really counts."

"You don't have moving targets?" Jack pipes up.

"You wanna volunteer?" Danny goads, earning a huffed _'Danny'_ from his wife and a few chuckles from the rest of the family.

"But how can Uncle Jamie learn if the targets don't move? People move…unless they freeze," Sean mulls over.

"My boys…the geniuses," Danny grins. "Okay so here's how it works..."

Thankful for the deflection to calm his rising anxiety about facing Garth at the academy tomorrow, Jamie finishes his meal, able to calm the tension in his stomach long enough for him to actually enjoy his Sunday dinner and then linger a bit longer with dessert.

"Got a sec…" Jamie finally gets to talk to Danny alone in their father's study after supper.

"Sleep well?"

"Yeah fine…what happened with Garth? Did you talk to him?"

"No," Danny replies in haste. "He woulda denied it, we need proof."

"I told you he took…well one of them took a picture. Danny I swear there were pictures taken."

"Right and if I woulda mentioned it he coulda come back with the whole get a warrant bit and then in about two seconds erased the pictures and my time would be wasted. He was pissed as was to be expected. That other guy Aaron was with him and he tried to calm him down a bit."

"Calm him down? Danny what happened?"

"Just keep your eyes open at school and no going into any dark areas alone."

"Not funny."

"Well I ain't laughin'," Danny replies with a heavy frown. "Now I'm working on something but this hasta be by the book or it's not good."

"By the book? You?" Jamie arches his brows.

"Fine blame Demarcus this time around. But he's right…we come at him with only your word and soon it's a he said he said kinda war…"

"In which I end up looking like some kinda tattle tale that can't hold his own," Jamie groans as he shakes his head and walks away a few feet. "Was he really that pissed?"

"He threatened death."

"What?" Jamie lightly hisses as he turns back to Danny in shock. "And you couldn't arrest him for uttering a threat."

"Okay what section are you on in there Harvard?" Danny huffs. "First off he only referred to you as golden boy or he…he never said Jamie or Reagan so again we have no evidence that he was uttering the death against you personally – no arrest would stick. He could say it was someone else and he'd be right. Second…do I believe him…yeah…yeah I do," Danny sighs as he looks at Jamie in concern.

"Well I won't quit."

"I don't really expect you to, in fact I want you to kick his ass in there more than ever," Danny smirks, making Jamie's face slightly soften.

"But seriously how can I expect to concentrate on anything with him…Danny he's always there and now that he knows that I escaped with help…"

"If he asks you about it…you call me right away okay? But I doubt he'll do that because he won't want to tip his hand that it was him."

"He might be angry enough to mention it," Jamie sighs. "And even if he doesn't I'm gonna be thinking about him asking me and what I'll say…ah I hate this."

"Yeah well I hate this too but until we have something concrete against this clown…"

"Would the pictures help?" Jamie asks weakly.

"Any direct evidence with you in it will help…yes," Danny resigns. "But you must promise me that you won't do anything stupid like try to get his phone and check okay?"

"Danny…"

"Promise me kid," Danny warns firmly. "He erases those pictures…if he even still has then and we got nothing but your word…which I believe but it's not enough to even get him expelled this term."

"Fine," Jamie reluctantly agrees. "I just want this all to stop."

"Yeah me too."

"Couldn't dad pull him…you know get him transferred out or something?"

"Sure he could…but if it's just that you are getting some guy kicked out because you can't handle being called a few names…"

"Then again I seem like a big baby or something."

"But we get him expelled doing something illegal…then he won't have a leg to stand on and the Reagan name isn't…"

"Soured by me?" Jamie grumbles.

"Sorry but we've all worked too hard to keep that name what it is."

"I know…I just want him to go away…for good."

"Yeah…me too."

"Think dad suspected something?"

"I do and I doubt it'll be much longer but this is your fight and you'll tell him when you're ready," Danny assures him. "That's not my place."

"Okay."

They head back into the main living room, as suspected Frank watching with a wondering glance, his mind knowing it wouldn't be long before he sat Jamie down and got the whole truth out of him; if something was bothering his sons to the extent that they were starting to act withdrawn and keep potentially life-threatening secrets from him, it was time to act and end it. But not just yet…a bit longer. But at the same time, he was more than happy to see Danny finally starting to act a bit more protective of Jamie.

The family starts to disperse and Jamie heads for his room, wanting to study a few hours before calling it a night; knowing that his sleep wouldn't be that restful and Monday fraught with anxiety and stress. He gets up early Monday morning, his stomach doing flips in anticipation of seeing Garth Robinson face to face.

Jamie enters the academy yard, quickly scanning for any of his friends but not seeing them yet and so heads for the locker room with a tight stomach and almost damp neck and back. He rounds the corner to the locker room and stops short as he notices Garth look up and glare right at him; his throat instantly dry and unable to swallow his rising tension.

_Today…is gonna be hell._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** So what will Jamie face at school this week? And now that Danny knows the threat will he do anything on his own about it? Hope I am not boring anyone with this story and I do apologize if I am and to the readers/reviewers that left I am sorry. To the rest I hope you are still liking it and feedback would be most appreciated. Thanks so much and stay tuned for more!


	15. And Lies

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 15 – And Lies**

**A/N: **Okay so sorry this has taken forever but we lost a bit of inspiration along the way. I am kinda nervous about this update but hope you all still like it and thanks!

* * *

><p>On the subway ride to the academy, Jamie had prepared himself for almost every possible comeback that Garth could throw at him; telling himself he'd just react calmly and not retaliate. But as he nears his locker he watches Garth pull away from his and head toward him with a small but unmistakable snarl; and his stomach instantly tightens.<p>

Jamie gives Garth a nod as he pulls his locker door open, but just before his hand reaches in to take something out, Garth's angry fist lands on the metal door and slams it shut, missing Jamie's left hand by mere seconds.

"Happy to see you too Garth," Jamie flippantly replies, prompting Garth's fingers to wrap around Jamie's forearm and jerk closer, Jamie's footing nearly being lost.

"You better watch yourself Reagan."

"Why is that Garth?" Jamie lightly growls as he tries to jerk his arm free; but his attempt is unsuccessful, his actions only fuelling Garth's agitation even further.

"You might think you're untouchable but you're not, you got me?"

"Thinking of kidnapping me again?" Jamie hisses with a slightly goading tone, his anger surging and his brain yelling at him to remember what Danny said about keeping things on the down low so that his investigation could proceed without Garth's suspicion.

Garth's anger flares upward into his dark eyes, forcing them to narrow at Jamie as he leans in a bit closer.

"You listen to me and listen up good. I'm gonna…"

"Gentlemen," Instructor Danton's voice calls out sharply, prompting Garth to instantly pull back and Jamie just smirk. "Is there a problem?"

"It's coming Reagan…payback is coming," he growls in a hushed undertone as he slaps Jamie on the back and then pastes on a fake grin. "Break a leg out there Reagan!" He chuckles as Danton nears them, Garth quickly moving past and leaving Jamie to stew in his warning.

"Reagan," Danton greets him with a small nod. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah…fine. He's just…a jerk," Jamie huffs, his arm still slightly throbbing from Garth's vise-like grip. "Gotta be able to take a little bit of name calling right?"

"Name calling is one thing and although it's childish, it can also affect us because we are human and have feelings. But it could also escalate if the name caller isn't getting the reaction he wants, which I'm guessing he's not?"

"I'm not giving him the satisfaction of knowing it hu…nothing."

"Jamie…"

"Sir, I'm fine really," Jamie insists. "I knew coming in that with my name might attract some attention…"

"_Some_ unwarranted and unwanted attention is tolerable…too much becomes…"

"Annoying?" Jamie arches his brows and Danton smirks. "I'm okay really."

"Well the class is big enough so that when I do the assignments I might not have to put you with him."

"Actually I'd like that…if that's okay."

"That's why I offered," Danton replies with a warm smile as he pats Jamie on the back; Tom entering the locker room and walking up to them. Danton says his good morning and then takes his leave, Jamie giving him a small nod and then looking at Tom as he stops at his locker.

"Man what happened to you Saturday night?"

"I got mugged."

"Yeah I know your brother said that…was it by Garth?" Tom asks in a quiet tone.

Jamie looks at his close friend and feels the inner conflict starting to wage a furious battle. He didn't want to outright lie but at the same time he didn't want to fan the flames of the Robinson-Reagan feud that was now waging.

"He'll get what's coming to him," Jamie offers firmly.

"I don't trust him," Tom frowns as he looks at Jamie with a skeptical glance.

"I don't either but I'm not gonna give in to his stupid comments you know?"

"Hey I know what stupid comments from stupid people are all about," Tom tells him in truth. "I've grown up hearing I was different from birth; so much for a tolerant society."

"You know if it was a race thing I could get that…but this…he's just an ass," Jamie lightly curses as he looks at Tom with a heavy frown. "How was Saturday night?"

"We all made a pact to kick your ass in law class," Tom smirks.

"Ah," Jamie's face finally relaxes into a smile as he finally pulls open his locker and then grabs his clothing to get changed for the physical part of their day; Matt arriving and the conversation once again dipping to a serious note about Jamie's sudden absence Saturday night and then moving back up to something more upbeat.

Jamie quickly changes and then follows Tom and Matt into the main auditorium where Maria and Emma were waiting, the four of them talking about the recruit that Emma was gonna be paired with this week. But as he glances over to Garth who was standing and talking to Aaron he feels his stomach start to slightly lurch and wonders when Danny was gonna make good on his promise to take care of Garth for good.

_'Just don't tip your hand to this clown…we gotta do this the right way or life in there really will be hell for you.' _Danny's word from last night jump to the fore.

But what? In here what could Danny do? Unless he wore…a wire! _Why the hell didn't I think about that sooner, _Jamie's mind suddenly declares.

"We got five minutes right? Be right back," and before any of his friends could say a word, Jamie takes off and hurries back to the locker room to at least text Danny his idea. But as soon as he nears he hears the two instructors talking and decides to back off; wanting to wait until he had complete privacy.

"What was that all about?" Tom inquires as Jamie rejoins them.

"I thought I had left my locker unlocked," Jamie slightly shrugs off. "No big deal."

Finally Instructor Danton emerges with the assignment list.

"Morning new recruits. Okay so this week we'll be learning all about weapons," Danton starts, instantly garnering some very happy comments and broad smiles. "Right…learning about how to use them the _proper_ way. A few of you numbskulls that like to think you're Dirty Harry might have a tougher time than the rest of the class, so my advice is to not show up with any attitude and you'll do fine," he concludes turning and looking from a group of three guys to glaring directly at Garth and Aaron.

"Okay class assignments are posted, see who you'll be working with, get the required gear and let's get started."

"This is where I'm gonna really excel," Maria boasts; her future as sharpshooter already being determined.

"Just don't get mad at me," Jamie teases as they head for the equipment. The first class would be mostly theory about the different kinds of weapons, when they'd be used and what would be expected from each of them by the end of the weapons training.

Jamie listens to the lecture but his mind can't just let go of what Garth would be planning next. Danny said that he was pissed when he arrived to the closet and found it empty and rightly so, Garth wasn't one to be mocked and wasn't one to just step aside when his pride was on the line. However, no one but Aaron knew of Garth's failure so why would it really matter?

_Just don't go to the library alone, _Jamie's mind reminds him as the morning session comes to a close.

"So how'd you do?" Matt asks as he and Jamie walk back to the lockers, to change and then meet the girls for lunch.

"I gotta practice more. Danny makes it look so easy," Jamie lightly groans as he nears his locker. Wanting to text Danny about his idea, Jamie grabs his phone and his clothes and heads for the private changing stalls, telling his friends he'd meet them outside.

_'Danny, got an idea how about me wearing a wire? Garth made a threat this morning & I think it might work. J'_

_'What did he say?' _Danny quickly texts back.

_'Payback is coming.'_

Danny of course didn't type the curse he uttered audibly so that only his partner could hear, but he had to agree that Jamie's plan had merit. The locker rooms only had cameras in the areas where there was no privacy violation; the office and the vending machine area, the rest was fair game as was his brother.

"A wire?" Demarcus asks softly.

"Yeah now he's thinkin' like a Reagan," Danny smirks as he texts back.

_'Okay a wire works for me. I'll bring it over tonight. Break a leg kid. D'_

Jamie looks at the words and feels a certain amount of comfort knowing that Danny was now on top of it; so he shoves his phone into his jeans pocket and pulls the door open. But as soon as he does he's pushed back inside by Garth, who puts one hand over his mouth and the other applies pressure to his neck, making him lightly choke.

But Garth says nothing, merely glares at Jamie before pulling back with an angry scowl and then leaving, slamming the door and leaving Jamie to lightly cough and curse his nemesis.

_I'll get that wire and then he'll be done for, _Jamie's mind muses as he quickly takes his leave and heads outside for lunch; one of the last few nice fall days before the more inclement weather would start to develop. Jamie joins his friends at the table, thankful that the banter focused on Emma's lame partner for the week who fancied himself a real gun slinger.

"He said that…gun slinger?"

"Yeah like in the movies," she groans. "I kept wanting to make a comment about him poking himself with his piece…" she starts to smirk.

"Yeah that sounds g-rated," Matt teases, making her slightly roll her eyes and shake her head. "I think he likes you."

"He loves his gun," Emma groans.

"That's definitely not g-rated," Maria winks at her friend.

"Maybe he was threatened by you? You caught on pretty fast," Jamie notes.

"Threatened? Who wants a wimpy guy."

"Not me," Maria pipes up. "Trust me if a guy can't handle the fact that I'm gonna be the best female sharpshooter in the city, I'm movin' on up," she ends with a smile and the conversation quickly turns from guns to old TV slogans such as the one she just quoted.

The afternoon class proved to be a bit easier than expected and for that Jamie was thankful; especially after having retained very little in the way of information intake over the very trying weekend. At least his date with Sydney this weekend was something he tells himself to look forward to; that is if Jake's name didn't come up – again.

After class Jamie heads to Danny's precinct, slumping down onto the subway seat and hoping his stomach will unknot by the time he arrives. All day Garth hadn't let up in throwing small sneering glances, glaring looks, snide comments his way; stuff he tried to openly brush off, but knowing inside that he was still worried especially after the incident in the locker room. At that moment Garth didn't have to say anything, his confrontational actions were enough.

_I just hope Danny gets something on this guy soon,_ Jamie's mind ponders as he nears the precinct.

XXXXXXXX

Danny feels his fist tighten as he looks at the pictures that Danton was able to download from Garth's locker. He had called the former police officer, turned Academy Instructor and told him the gist of what was going on and that to keep an eye on Jamie without making it too obvious that he was watching over him or even trying to interfere. Danton was able, with help from fellow instructor and former partner Dean Atchison, get a hold of Garth's phone and download all the pictures and then erase his tracks without letting Garth know there had been a break in security.

Danny looks at the picture of Jamie in the truck and curses under his breath. But all these pictures just proved that Garth had taken them, he could easily argue that he wasn't the one behind it all; Jamie's idea about the wire was actually pretty clever. After Jamie had suggested it, Danny had called Danton, who much like Jamie also asked why they couldn't just expel Garth. But not wanting to prove his little brother a victim of bullying, Danny argued that with the help of a few people and the law, they could send Garth packing without a verbal rebuttal.

But Danny knows inside that Jamie would still have to endure _something_ at Garth's hands for them to get concrete evidence to get Garth expelled for good. _I do a half ass job and it's only gonna piss this clown off even more, _Danny's mind groans as he looks up to see Jamie approaching. He quickly hides the photos and then studies Jamie's tense expression; today had not been easy at all.

"Hey kid…" Danny greets Jamie as he pushes out a chair with his foot for him to sit down next to him. "Take a seat for a sec…just finishing something off."

"Where's um…Demarcus?"

"Slackin'," Danny teases his absent partner. "Nah he's in lockup…how'd today go?"

"You mean after this morning?"

"Yeah."

"He's um…he was just angry. Looks, comments…stupid stuff really. I mean it's really so childish," Jamie groans as he leans back in the chair a bit. "I can't believe he wants to become a cop."

"Yeah that's knuckleheads are the ones that give good cops a bad name," Danny growls as his computer beeps; his attention immediately turns back and for the next few minutes he types something up and then turns back to Jamie. "Ready?"

"Sure," Jamie replies with a bit of uncertainty.

"Come on…" Danny urges as he stands up and then gently ushers Jamie toward the private supply room. He grabs what he needs and then directs his brother toward another small room where he locks the door.

"Okay sweater off."

"What? Why?"

"What you're shy?"

"No but um…"

"Right, you got nothin' I don't have…more of," Danny smirks. "Sweater…off."

"I know how to put on a wire Danny."

"Really? How watching those old cop shows again? Trust me there's a reason the stooge always gets made. Now off."

"No," Jamie insists as Danny looks at him in wonder.

"I promise I won't make fun of your pale skin."

"Danny…"

"You're wearing a bra?" Danny deadpans to which Jamie finally chuckles. "What then?"

Without so much as saying another word, Jamie slowly takes off his jacket and then lifts up his sweater, revealing the bruises that Garth had inflicted on him two nights ago.

"What the hell…he beat you also?" Danny asks with a small gasp followed by a growl.

"I tried to fight back…I swear I did," Jamie answers in truth as he lowers his sweater. "

"Okay hold on," Danny's fingers quickly shoot out and grab the bottom of Jamie's sweater before it can pool around his waist. He slowly hoists it back up and then gestures for Jamie to hold it while he demonstrates what to do.

"Okay so even a um…a direct…"

"Hit?"

"Just make sure you don't get into a fist fight okay?"

"He's seriously pissed Danny. Garth isn't a guy that likes to lose. By him coming back and finding me not there on Sunday…"

"Finding you trussed up like a turkey wasn't an option either okay?" Danny retorts as he gently presses down near a purplish mark, watching Jamie's face to see if a wince was forthcoming. "How's that?"

"Fine and the recorder?"

"Right here."

"That? But it's so small."

"Yeah size matters," Danny smirks as he attaches the recorder. "But trust me it has it where it counts. Kinda like you," he teases with a friendly punch to Jamie's shoulder.

"Funny."

"There…" Danny pulls down Jamie's sweater. "How's that? Go over there and say something."

"Wait a second…"

"That was lame. Say something else."

"My big brother just doesn't get it sometimes."

"Okay my turn. My little brother thinks he knows it all sometimes and doesn't."

"Funny."

"Fine that'll do," Danny groans as his hand snakes up Jamie's sweater, drawing a small chuckle from his little brother. "Really? You're still ticklish there?"

"Yes," Jamie swats Danny's hand away.

"Okay come here," Danny leads Jamie back out of the room and up to a small device. He plugs in the recorder and it instantly replays the few sentences; another button and it prints out a verified voice ID.

"Danny Reagan…Jamie Reagan…" Jamie reads.

"So now…this clown traps you again in an area with no camera's we can still get a positive ID."

"You have his voice in there?"

"We have everything on every new recruit in here…part of the screening process. Seriously you thought your good looks got you in alone," Danny winks.

"Funny," Jamie deadpans with an eye roll. "Okay so um…thanks."

"What is it?"

"No this…it'll work and…yeah thanks," Jamie mumbles as he carefully packs the device into his backpack and then turns to leave.

"It's gonna work, I swear it will."

"What if he finds it?"

"Then maybe he'll back the hell off. Just act natural with it there and that'll be it. At the end of the day come here, we'll erase all the useless stuff and then…."

"Keep living in fear until this jerk does something."

"This was a great idea okay, don't knock it yet."

"But this isn't one where you can hear me?"

"I can if I wanted to. Do you want me to?" Danny asks with a small frown.

"No I uh…was just wondering."

"Okay if you change your mind text me…otherwise I do have another job to do as well."

"I'm not…"

"It was a joke kid. Now get home for supper before you really get into trouble."

"Okay and thanks."

"Anytime."

Jamie takes his leave; Danny watching him leave with a perplexed and worried expression, hoping and praying this would all be over soon. Jamie gets back onto the subway and heads for home, his mind still pondering the fact that something could go wrong. But as he ponders things a bit further he knows that Garth's tactics were usually the worst first thing in the morning when he was alone. Just one threat…one vile threat was all Danny needs. With that in mind, Jamie texts Danny and tells him to listen until class starts as then he'd turn off the recorder until lunch break.

_'Okay…deal. D'_

With that firmly cemented in place, Jamie enters his father's house, dumps his jacket and heads into the kitchen to talk to his father and grandfather.

"So weapons training…I remember my first," Henry muses.

"How many bullets did you have in your first gun?" Jamie asks as the three of them sit at the small table in the kitchen.

"Listen here…" Henry starts with a smirk, making Frank smile as his father goes into explaining that he wasn't _that old_ and his gun was also an automatic as Jamie was learning about.

His meeting with Danny and supper with his father and grandfather all served to lift his mood and spirit a little; his mind settling up on the fact that Danny would be hearing everything Garth was tossing at him in the way of a verbal assault and that his days were now numbered.

After an actually somewhat refreshing sleep, Jamie awakens early to fix the wire and recorder to his chest as Danny had showed him; today wanting to show up early on purpose, hoping Garth would make a threat this would be over sooner than expected.

But the confidence that he was feeling even ten minutes earlier starts to falter as soon as he pulls open the doors to the academy and heads inside, telling himself that Danny had his back and he has nothing to fear.

XXXXXXXX

"You're in early," Demarcus comments as he looks at Danny who was holding a small muff up to his ear. "Who'd you wire?"

"Jamie," Danny huffs as he looks at the device readout.

"What?"

"It was his idea and a pretty good one at that."

"About this whole Garth thing?"

"Yeah."

"So what's going on then? You look worried."

"I uh…this thing isn't working…I can't hear my brother and..."

"Danny?"

"Not good…damn it!" Danny curses as he reaches for his phone in haste.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** uh oh…stand by for technical issues lol Has Danny missed anything? Okay am gonna stop apologizing for RL but hey that's my only excuse for these not updated weekly right now but I do apologize for that. I know a lot have left and for that I am truly sorry. To those that continued up to now thank you so much! I doubt I'll make the story as long as I had planned but I never leave a story unfinished so I hope you all liked this and please do review before you go and thanks so much!


	16. Wrong UsShall we not Revenge?

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 16 – Wrong Us...Shall we not Revenge?**

* * *

><p>Jamie nears Garth, his heart rate starting to soar as Garth sneers, the small electronic device now weighing heavily against his pale, bare skin. <em>Danny's gonna hear everything and that'll be it…this will be over. <em>Garth leaves his spot and heads toward him, Jamie stopping in his tracks and looking at Garth with a deep frown, his mind telling the rest of his body to act as he normally would and not to arouse undue suspicion.

"Garth," Jamie nods as he tries to walk past. Garth's arm instantly shoots out and grabs Jamie, yanking him closer; the surprise action literally making him lose his footing and stumble to keep himself upright.

"What the hell…" Jamie growls as he tries to pull himself free.

"Now you listen and you listen good…" Garth starts only to be interrupted by Jamie's phone starting to ring. He narrows his eyes at Jamie, as Jamie finally manages to yank his arm free, cursing the phone's bad timing that delayed Garth's would be threat that would be caught on tape and used as evidence against him.

But just as Jamie's hand reaches for his phone, Garth snatches it away and looks at the number; Jamie cursing as he tries to claw it back.

"Give that back!"

"Is there a problem here gentlemen?" Instructor Danton's commanding voice is heard, forcing Jamie to snatch the phone free from his nemesis and Garth to step back.

"Sydney?" Jamie answers with a small out of breath gasp, not wanting to let Garth know it was actually Danny's number that was calling.

"She's a loser too," Garth snickers as he takes his leave.

_"Jamie!"_

"Yeah hold on…" Jamie huffs as he walks away a few more feet but keeps Garth in sight, their instructor and a few other recruits now in the locker room. "What happened? You called right when…"

_"Your mic isn't turned on genius," Danny sighs. "What happened?"_

"All he said was listen and listen good and then the phone rang and our instructor came in and that was it. What's wrong with this thing?" Jamie asks in exasperation.

_"Did you read the instructions for dummies book last night?" Danny retorts in sarcasm._

"Funny," Jamie deadpans as he looks over at Garth and sighs. "I want this over with Danny."

_"Yeah me too kid…me too. Okay go someplace private and press record see if it's actually working."_

"I pressed."

_"Not hard enough…now go."_

Jamie grumbles under his breath as he heads for the nearest locker room and then pushes the record button a little bit harder. "Okay so where did I put my wallet?"

_"Okay kid I got that one."_

"Good I gotta go."

"Hey Reagan you talkin' to your imaginary friend?" Garth teases as he walks past the locker Jamie was in.

"Probably the only one he has!" Aaron chimes in as Jaime just grits his teeth but doesn't retaliate.

_"We'll get them…now go break a leg or shoot a target or something," Danny smirks before he hangs up._

Knowing that he wasn't paired with Garth for the morning physical stuff and not wanting to put any kind of damage to the electronic recording device, Jamie carefully takes off the wire, puts it into his backpack for later and then heads back into general population, where Tom and Matt were both waiting for him.

They head into the main auditorium, Jamie's mind trying to focus on the assignments just ahead instead of wondering when he'd be able to trap Garth and get him out of his life for good. But as soon as he hears the call for the morning, he starts into his physical warm up as per their routine, a brief but intense workout routine before they got into pairs and started into the second day of their weapons training.

At first Jamie had inwardly balked at the idea of the instructors knowing he was a target of Garth's bullying and giving him silent preferential treatment by making sure he wasn't paired with Garth, but now he sees that he's able to fully concentrate on the lesson at hand and feels his confidence – in his burgeoning skills starting to strengthen and for that he's now happy.

"And the top so far in the marksmanship is Maria," Instructor Danton praises. "She's the hot hand to beat class. Study up we have a small hands on quiz tomorrow before we learn another weapon. Dismissed."

"Let's just call her Annie Oakley," Matt teases.

"I'll get Danny to practice with me and then we'll see," Jamie joins in the light hearted fun, thankful that his mind was able to relax instead of focus on Garth's stupidity.

"No offense to your brother but I've seen his marks," Maria winks and Jamie's face slightly reddens.

"Ohhh sounds like a little betting is in order," Tom elbows Jamie.

"No way, I'm backing out now."

"What?"

"That's because he's a genius and knows what's best for him," Maria teases back.

However, his good natured teasing is short lived as he rounds the corner and sees – Sydney waiting for him? A small frown instantly covering her normally placid features as she watches Jamie laughing and being friendly with his own friends before heading toward her.

"I'll catch up with you guys outside," Jamie heads over to Sydney, greeting her with a small hug and discreet kiss, knowing that open displays of affection were against the rules. "Hey…what's going on?" He asks as they head over to a more private area.

"Just came to see how the other half lives," she tries to tease, her voice coming across as strained instead of good-natured.

"Okay. But seriously, everything okay?"

"Yeah, I had a few spare hours between my first real case. Its gonna be a big one I think," Sydney slightly gushes.

"That's great. Am sure you'll do great on it."

"Jake says it could be the one that puts me ahead of the rest of the junior associates."

"Jake. Well…yeah that's great."

"Wish you were there with me," she sighs as she looks off in the distance with a frown. "Are you free for lunch?"

"I wish but um…well they run a pretty tight ship here and I can't be late for the afternoon session. But we are still on for the weekend right?"

"We are. Which night?"

"I might have to work either Friday or Saturday…I'll check my schedule tonight and let you know."

"Okay."

They talk a bit longer, Jamie somewhat happy that his fiancé actually came to see him, but a bit dismayed that she didn't ask too many questions about how or what he was doing; her interest still seeming feigned at best. But he tries to push that aside, reminding himself that he didn't need her approval, only her support and thankfully she had backed off on telling him to outrightly quit; now it was just listening to her telling him about her amazing job and how much she admired Jake for his expert career choices, another inner bone of contention.

"Okay see you later," Jamie gives her another quick kiss and then they part, him watching until she had left and then hurrying toward the locker room to change and quickly eat, his time with his friends outside today now being moot. But as son as he rounds the corner into the empty locker room, he stops as he comes face to face with Garth, bumping into him and then quickly stepping back, wanting to go around.

"We never got to finish this morning," Garth hisses as he grabs a handful of Jamie's grey t-shirt and pulls him closer. Jamie, however, knowing he wasn't wearing the wire, kicks Garth in the knee and forces his bully to pull back with a curse.

"We are finished. Leave me alone," Jamie grumbles as he steps back. "What is your problem? We both want to be cops!"

"You really don't get it do you?" Garth sneers back.

"No I guess I don't so why don't you tell me," Jamie stands his ground; just as two other students enter.

"We're not finished!" Garth calls out before he turns and storms out of the locker room, leaving Jamie to mutter under his breath but go back about his original mission. But after quickly wolfing down his food and heading to class, he realizes the folly of his ways, as anxiety starts to gnaw at his stomach and indigestion keeps his brain from fully comprehending all the lesson had to entail. However, he does better than expected on the quiz, not quite perfect as he had been but at least it wasn't just a pass.

After class, Jamie doesn't wait for anyone, wanting to just get home and relax before trying again with the wire the following morning.

"Grandpa?"

"In here kid!" Henry calls out. "Hey…how was class?"

"It was okay," Jamie slightly sighs, not telling either his grandfather or father about the plan that he and Danny were working on to trap Garth; hoping it would end without incident and they could just carry on as nothing much had happened. That plan would be rendered moot.

"Jamie?" Henry's voice snaps him back to reality.

"Yeah sorry…Sydney showed up today."

"Yeah? How'd that go?"

"It was okay," Jamie sighs as he slumps down into a nearby chair and looks up at his grandfather with a somewhat tormented expression. "She brought up Jake again. I am really getting tired of hearing about all the support he's giving her and what an amazing guy he is."

"Course you are, you're jealous," Henry smirks. "He's honing in on your woman."

"That sounds a tad barbaric."

"Jealousy is just that," Henry replies with a small frown. "Is she still giving you a hard time about quitting?"

"No and I don't really let her."

"Ah she's a woman…you don't let her to anything," he lightly chuckles. "If she wanted to – she would. So she's slowly coming around. This stuff with Jake and her job…it's all new. It'll pass and then it'll just be the two of you."

"Hope so. I really don't like him," Jamie huffs.

"Me either kid. Now come here and help me with this."

Jamie helps his father with the rest of dinner, his mind in a much better frame of mind by the time his father arrives so that he's confident he's not giving off any nervous or anxious vibes for this father to be suspicious over. Even his sleep wasn't as restless the as the night before so that when he wakes up the following morning, his mind is refreshed and his body more than energized to greet the day at full capacity.

The next morning Jamie eyes the wire with a small frown, hoping and praying that it'll hold up and that he'll be able to get something solid on Garth and at least get him expelled from this intake and allow Jamie to finish his training unhindered.

"Danny?"

_"Morning kid…I hear ya…loud and clear. Where are you?"_

"Just off the subway. Too much noise?"

_"Just tell the punk bragging about the illegal download that it could land his ass five years in jail," Danny smirks. _

"At least it's working," Jamie replies into his phone as he heads for the gated entrance to the Academy campus.

_"Heard Sydney stopped by yesterday."_

"What? Who told you?" Jamie asks in shock.

_"The Reagan gossip mill."_

"Grandpa told Linda?" Jamie groans, making Danny slightly snicker. "Yes she did and we're fine."

_"Well that's great to hear. Now concentrate okay."_

"Right. I'll talk to you later."

Jamie hangs up with Danny as he pulls open the locker room door and enters, this morning, purposely wanting to actually get there before Garth and ensure they weren't actually interrupted so the could get something really good on his nemesis. The room was empty, eerie echoes bouncing off the walls as Jamie quietly moves around, making the odd sound now and again. But just as he goes to get his runners, Garth's hands land on his back and give him a tug backward, forcing him to fall off the bench and slam onto the ground.

Without warning Garth's foot lands on his chest, dangerously close to the wire and forcing Jamie's lips to grunt and Danny on the other end to literally break the pencil in his hand and press the small ear bud further into his ear.

"What the…hell…" Jamie gasps.

"Like that golden boy? Want another!" Garth hisses as he kicks Jamie in the chest once more, this time hitting the wire and causing it to short circuit but then come back on, Jamie's arms instantly encircling his chest for protection; and Danny's heart rate increasing.

"Get…away…from me," Jamie wheezes as Garth kneels down and grabs the top of his short blond hair and jerks his head painfully upright.

"Like I said yesterday, you listen and you listen good. This isn't over…you hear me," Garth snarls down at Jamie's cross expression.

"What…what are you talking about?" Jamie manages; Danny on the other end cringing at his brother's labored breaths but thankful that he was still able to push through and try to get Garth to fess up to more. "Was that you last weekend…just tell me what's this about!"

"Last weekend?"

"You kidnapped me!"

"Obviously not well enough," Garth snaps, his anger clouding his brain and allowing him to slowly incriminate himself.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Retribution."

"For what?" Jamie groans as he tries to jerk his head out of Garth's grasp. "Let go," Jamie demands angrily, making Danny's own anger and agitation soar at not being there to physically help Jamie.

"Awww is that hurting you golden boy? I'm gonna do a lot worse to you than this!" Garth hisses as he leans in closer; Danny silently cursing on the other end of the wire.

"You already did…"

"That'll be a walk in the park compared to what I'm gonna do next," Garth instantly incriminates himself once more.

"You can't…"

"I can…and I will!" Garth finishes as he finally let's go of Jamie's head, letting the youngest Reagan slump back to the floor. "Enjoy class!" Garth sneers as he stands up and hovers over Jamie's slightly coiled frame. "You never could beat me!"

And before Jamie can get in another word, Garth storms off, leaving Jamie to curse one more and send his fist into the side of the nearest locker. He slowly picks himself up onto the bench, his eyes slightly watering and his heart beating painfully in his chest.

"Danny…" Jamie slightly gasps.

_"Yeah kid I'm here…what the hell just happened?"_

"He um…surprised me. Did you get all that?"

_"I did. What did he do?"_

"Nothing," Jamie insists, hearing Danny curse on the other end of the phone.

_"Jamie," Danny demands with a firmer tone, using his first name to show his serious intent._

"Nothing he hasn't done before okay? Like I said…" he huffs, taking in a deep breath and then wincing. "I just want this to end."

_"Okay I'm gonna run this through the analyzer put a name to the voice and then I'll let you know the next steps. Okay heads up today and keep away from him now."_

"Yeah…no worries there," Jamie groans in reply. "Danny…"

_"Yeah?"_

"Thanks…um knowing you're there actually made it…bearable."

_"Just wish I coulda been there to kick his ass in return."_

"Yeah me too."

_"You sure you're okay?"_

"I'll be fine. It ends today right?"

_"Yeah it will. Him and his father will be gone. So just stick to the rest of the plan and in a few hours you won't have to worry about seeing him again."_

"Good I never want to see him again anyways. Best news I've had all day. Okay talk to you later."

Jamie hangs up and then heads back to his locker, wanting to get changed before any of his friends entered and saw the growing marks on his chest. He pulls off the wire, however, not knowing that Garth had come back and stopped just short of seeing Jamie pull it from his chest, his fists tightening and his mind vowing revenge in that very second at seeing that he had been set up. _You recorded that? YOU DAMN LITTLE BASTARD! _His mind curses vehemently. _You're dead Reagan! So dead…you'll never get me expelled! NEVER! _He silently turns on his heel and hurries toward one of the exits, pulling his phone and making a call; his mind surging with heated revenge – his ability to reason now all but spent.

"Ben…I need a favor and I mean right now!"

XXXXXXXX

"Wow you are actually smiling?" Demarcus notes as he nears Danny's desk. "Linda just leave and you get lucky?"

"Yeah funny wiseguy…ha ha," Danny rolls his eyes as he hands his partner a sheet of paper.

"What's this? You including me in your last will? Sorry but you got nothin' I can use."

"Oh just quite the comedian this morning, read it," Danny smirks and then deadpans.

"This is…oh wait you got this guy on the wire saying all this?"

"Damn bastard incriminated himself and along with the pictures from the camera's we got him. This will at least get his ass expelled from this intake and allow Jamie to continue with peace of mind."

"Man this could be bringin' the heat you know?"

"This guy doesn't know what we have," Danny utters, not knowing his words were furthest from the truth and at that very moment his brother's fate being determined by an evil mind. "I'm gonna take this to his father, the administrator and…"

"Alone?"

"Nope, you're coming with me and I'm gonna get Instructor Danton there as a witness as well. About someone stood up to these clowns and got them both kicked out."

"Still gonna be fallout."

"I know okay…I know," Danny huffs as he slumps back into his chair. "But what's the alternative? Let this guy make good on his threat? Sure I'd like to catch him in the act but at what cost? This jerk's playing for keeps and the next time could be Jamie's life. I can't take that risk. I arrest him, I put the heat on me."

"You got him in trouble before and Jamie paid the price. I'm just sayin'."

"Okay fine…you got a better solution? I'm all ears."

"I don't okay…I don't either but I'm just sayin'. These words…I mean over a few classes. This kid's nuts."

"Exactly and the sooner he's outta there the better. So it's early. Let's get going before the day gets started and we disrupt too much."

"When has that ever stopped you in the past?" Demarcus smirks as he shoves his service weapon into his shoulder holster and follows Danny back outside.

"Okay so when we get there, I'll see if class has started and if so, I'll take Danton aside and let him know what's going on. He knew this moment was coming but didn't know when. I didn't want it rehearsed you know?"

"And Garth's dad?"

"He's allowed this to go on for too long, aiding and abetting," Danny pats the warrant in his inner breast pocket. "He of all people should know better. Trust me, getting rid of him will be a pleasure."

"Still might come down to a battle of words."

"Then I'll just get my father to fire his."

"Not high school at all," Demarcus smirks as they near the academy. They both get out, game faces on and head for the main entrance. Danny making a side detour to connect with Jamie in the locker room as he had instructed his brother to wait for him. However, upon entering the quiet locker room, he finds it empty and frowns, his stomach tightening at his brother's absence. He checks a few places and then hurries back outside to his partner with a worried expression.

"He's not there?"

"Damn kid never listens," Danny groans.

"Yeah listening…runs in the family," Demarcus jabs, getting an eye roll from Danny.

"Next time I'll staple his ass to the chair."

"He probably went to class to put in an appearance you know…lets not panic yet," Demarcus states as they both exit the locker rooms and head for the main auditorium, Danton hurrying out to meet them.

"Detective Reagan…"

"Thanks for the help with this. Okay so where's Garth?"

"I was just about to call you…he never showed up for class."

"What?" Danny asks in haste.

"I was about to check the locker room to see if he was there."

"No…I was just in there, it's empty," Danny informs him, getting a curse in return. "Why?"

"He's missing then," Demarcus states with a heavy frown.

"We'll find him," Danny assures him.

"But we might now have a bigger problem."

"What's that?"

"Your brother is missing also. He never showed up for class either."

"WHAT?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Okay so have sped things along a bit – like Garth's final act of retribution. But more brotherly stuff in here b/c I do love that and there will be some major angst and peril up next and guilt of course for Danny but also some hurt/comfort for our boys and then…well Frank's gonna find out – so lots of angst and turmoil on the way. Please do review before you go and thanks so much!


	17. Frantic!

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 17 – Frantic!**

* * *

><p>Just as Jamie had finished pulling off the wire and shoving it into his bag, a few of his friends started to trickle in and his phone buzzes at the same time. A text from Danny.<p>

_'Wait for me in the locker rooms kid, I'm on my way and we'll go in together. D'_

"Hey little J," Tom teases with a friendly slap on Jamie's back.

"Who's big J?" Matt wonders.

"No he's the…you know Danny is…"

"What the big D?" Matt playfully challenges. "But his name starts with a D."

"You know what…never mind."

Jamie laughs at his friend's happy mood, his own anxiety starting to lift. It was a combination of Danny's assurance that Garth's stupidity as of today would be over and he'd be able to walk into the academy tomorrow unhindered; Garth having been expelled at the very least.

"You guys go on I hafta send a text to um…Sydney."

"You want some privacy Romeo?" Tom good naturedly pokes him.

"Yeah," Jamie replies with a small frown as he takes his phone and heads for one of the stalls, wanting to at least give an appearance of needing privacy to talk to his fiancé but knowing that in about twenty minutes his brother would be showing up and they would be facing his would be tormenter together.

He finally exits the private locker room area, phone in hand. He hears a slight noise at the end of the lockers by the emergency exit and nods to who _appears_ to be the janitor emptying a large garbage bin.

"Hey can I get you to hold the door open for me," the man sets the trap with a phony cry for help.

"Sure hold on a sec," Jamie nods as he places his phone down on the bench and heads for the quiet back area. "Okay what can I do…"

"You can put your hands where I can see em," the man pulls a gun and points it directly at Jamie.

"What? I have no money."

"We don't want your money."

"What? Are you…" is all Jamie manages before he hears angry footsteps heading behind him and turns to see Garth barreling down on him with a gun in his hand. "Garth…what the hell?"

But Garth doesn't answer, merely approaches, striking Jamie on the mouth and sending him reeling to one side, his lip splitting and a small amount of blood forthcoming. Before Jamie can send out a fist, the stranger strikes him in the back with something hard, sending him to his knees; another hit to the side of his face and Jamie crashes to his knees.

"He..." he tries in vain, his lungs having a hard time catching up.

But within seconds his wrists are cuffed behind his back and Garth has shoved a cloth into his mouth and then rips off a strip of tape, pressing it down over his cut lips, gagging him effectively; Jamie struggling and calling out in vain.

"You think you can WIRE ME!" Garth shouts as he punches Jamie in the gut, sending him back to his knees with a labored gasp; his nose flaring as the tape keeps his lungs from instantly refilling. He points the gun at Jamie's head and cocks the trigger, Jamie's eyes instantly widening, his heat rate soaring past critical. "Don't worry I'm not gonna kill you here! I want you to be awake for your final moments and then I'm GONNA KILL YOU! Let's go!"

_NO GARTH! _Jamie tries to shout in vain as he's dragged through the emergency exit; which conveniently had the alarm turned off so that no one heard a thing; his kidnapping so far a success. Jamie's frantic gaze looks around as his flailing body is literally dragged toward the back of a waiting van; Ben allowing Garth to wrestle Jamie inside while he hops in the front and starts up the van; the doors are slammed shut and he calmly pulls away.

"Oh nice try Reagan!" Garth hisses as he grabs Jamie by the foot before Jamie could try to get back to his feet and charge toward the back door; his instinct for survival racing to the fore. Jamie crashes to his stomach as he tries to kick back at Garth, but with his wrists cuffed behind his back, his efforts were a lost cause.

_HELP ME! _Jamie calls in vain as he tries to struggle away from Garth's firm grasp. But another hit to his side and his body recoils allowing his captor to grab his feet and succeed in wrapping a tight plastic zip-tie around them.

"You…are nothing more…than a pain IN MY ASS!" Garth shouts as he pushes Jamie's heaving frame away; Jamie rolling to his side and looking up with a narrowed gaze. Thankfully the cloth between his teeth had kept his throat from swallowing his own blood but another kick to the stomach and his breakfast threatens to come up, something the gag would hinder him expelling and result in possible choking. "But I intend to remedy that – for GOOD!" Garth shouts once more – this time without the added punch for effect.

"A wire…a damn wire! And who was on the other end? Big brother? Last time he hears your voice!" Garth shouts in anger, as he picks up some tape and then grabs Jamie's legs and pulls him back. Driven on by pure revenge he starts to wrap the coils around Jamie's chest, trapping his cuffed wrists to his back and taking away any possibility he might have had in trying to at least get his wrists over his legs and feet and work on his ankles if left alone. That was not moot.

_Danny! Help me! _Jamie's mind calls as he looks up at Garth who merely curses and continues binding him. _HELP ME!_

XXXXXXXX

"Okay okay…this can't be...this can't be," Danny grumbles as he quickly calls Jamie's number one more time.

"Is that…" Demarcus picks up the faint ringing coming from the locker rooms that Danny had just done a brief sweep of and then exited. The three of them hurry into the room, Danny rushing for Jamie's phone and then picking it up off the floor in a fit of anger.

"Damn, his phone's still here!" Danny half yells as he kicks the bench. Danny rushes to his locker to see that its been cleaned out, his phone must have just fallen out when Garth had cleared everything in haste, making it seem that Jamie left on his own. "Everything's missing!"

"What?"

"The locker is empty…his clothes…the wire…everything's gone!"

"Maybe he took his stuff to…" Danton starts.

"No," Danny insists a shake of his head. "Jamie wouldn't have left. I told him to stay here…trust me he wants Garth dealt with also. He wouldn't back down from this – not willingly. The wire was his idea...no something's happened."

"Yeah but we got…"

"Yeah we got the threat but its moot now because…"

"Okay…we just gotta…"

"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!" Danny shouts before he quickly turns away and lets out a heavy sigh, Danton backing up a bit to give him some extra space. "He musta found the wire…damn Garth the bastard musta found the wire…that's what set this off," Danny utters in a calmer tone as he looks at his partner with a heavy frown. "I hafta find him."

"Okay we will but…Danny without a phone to trace…"

"Garth's can you trace his phone?" Danny asks in haste.

"Yeah I can. What's the number?"

"Hold on…I'll get it," Danton states as he hurries to his office.

"Danny we'll find him."

"Garth is…he's nuts okay? Jamie said anything could set this jerk off and I heard that this morning! If he found the wire and knew that Jamie got him on tape…damn Demarcus we gotta find him…and I mean like now."

"Okay here's the number."

"I'm on it," Demarcus takes the number and hurries back into the hallway to call the same person he used last time to trace Jamie's number; them arriving to find Jamie in the old fish house.

"I doubt he'd go back to the same place as last time…"

"Last time?" Danton inquires. "This has happened before?"

"It ends today okay…it ends today. That loser is going down for…damn we better find Jamie in time."

"Okay trace complete."

"Already? Where the hell is he?"

"According to this? Here…in this room."

"What?" Danton asks in shock. "Here?"

"Left his phone…damn bastard left his PHONE!"

"Left? More like dropped it," Demarcus commments as he starts to look around the elusive piece of technology. "Danny this is serious…if we can't find Garth…we can't find Jamie, until he wants us to."

"No…there hasta be a way. I refuse to believe that ass has won!" Danny growls.

"Let me see if Aaron is in class," Danton suddenly pipes up. "He might know something."

"Danny you gotta just…" Demarcus starts as he finally finds Garth's phone. Sure enough it had fallen in such a way that it could be deduced a struggle ensued and the phone was a casualty; left behind in the heat of the moment.

"What!" Danny snaps as he stops his pacing and looks at his partner with a heavy frown. "He's threatened to kill my brother."

"I was gonna say keep a cool head about this. I am not gonna tell you not to worry because even I'm worried."

"If he's hurt him," Danny's voice dies out as he looks at his partner with a blank stare. "This was my fault."

"You said the wire was his idea."

"You think my father will care whose idea it was to begin with? I coulda…shoulda said no."

"There was no other way. I am not making light of your…"

"Guilt?"

"Concern," Demarcus corrects. "But it would have been a case of he said he said and you know that."

"Would rather have him here to argue than find him somewhere – dead!"

"I'm praying it doesn't come to that," Demarcus groans as Danton heads toward them with Aaron in tow.

XXXXXXXX

"Pondering your fate? You should be…I'm doing screwing around with you. And if you think anyone's gonna come to your aid forget it. No one knows where I'm taking you. NO ONE!" Garth finishes with another shout. However, that statement wasn't spoken in total truth as there was one person who would know; but at that moment, Garth's mind wasn't thinking properly, it was clouded with hate and anger.

"I'm done giving you the chance to beg for your life…to tell me you'll drop out and let…" Garth looks at Jamie who tries to curse, his words hindered by the gag. Garth yanks the tape from off Jamie's lips tossing the used piece aside and pulling the cloth down.

"Garth…don't do…this," Jamie begs with a few deep breaths of air. "I'll go…next intake…"

"You know what…I don't care anymore…not about that."

"Garth…"

"You wired me…you damn little bastard…you WIRED ME!" Garth shouts as he pulls the gun and aims it at Jamie once more, forcing the youngest Reagan to instantly cease his useless struggling and quickly swallow. "How many…you know what? It doesn't matter!"

"Garth…what the hell did you expect…all this over us taking the same training? You're willing to kill me because of some marks in a class?" Jamie lightly growls.

"You know what golden boy…"

"What?"

"SHUT UP!" Garth yells back in anger. "I don't want to hear your stupid reasoning."

"Look Garth…you do something stupid…and your life is over," Jamie tries to reason, his eyes fixed on the gun in Garth's hand.

"Actually," Garth cocks the trigger and Jamie braces for the worst. "Your life is over. They'll just think you…"

"What, left? You don't know my family that well."

"I know they'll find you dead."

"And they'll suspect you. Do you even have an alibi? Or is this just a spur of the mo…" is all Jamie manages before the cloth is roughly shoved back in his mouth to keep him from verbally uttering the words Garth doesn't want to hear; ultimately sealing his fate and permanently ending his professional career.

"I SAID SHUT UP! I don't want to hear your lies. I want you gone for good!" He shouts as he storms past Jamie into the front seat, leaving Jamie to ponder his would-be fate if he wasn't found in time. It's true he could argue with Garth till he was literally blue in the face about him spending the rest of his life in jail but all that would mean nothing if this was really the end and he was gonna die shortly.

_Danny, _Jamie's mind laments as he rests his throbbing head down on the cool metal floor of the van. _You hafta find me…please god let him find me in time._

XXXXXXXX

"Okay kid you better tell us where Garth has taken my brother and I swear if you're lying…"

"Look I have no idea, I swear…I was in class and…"

"Think!" Danny demands before Demarcus steps up a bit closer, wanting to offer Danny a silent buffer but also wanting to keep his partner in line. "Where are they?"

"Look man I swear I have no idea…"

"Lying won't help you. We have pictures from your phone from last weekend when you kidnapped Jamie Reagan."

"What how did you…" Aaron asks in anger.

"Doesn't matter. Garth's pinned it all on you. Now if you want…"

"He would never do that!"

"Yeah well there's no honor among losers," Danny growls back. "So he's putting this all on you and…he said you were responsible for everything and for us to arrest you."

"That's a lie! It was his idea!" Aaron hisses back, not realizing that it was a subtle verbal trap on Danny's part.

"What was?" Demarcus presses.

"Last weekend...damn it was last weekend," Aaron resigns with a heavy sigh. "Look he's had it in for him since day one, beats the hell outta me why."

"I can take a guess," Danny mutters in an undertone, drawing an irate glance from his partner. "Go on."

"Look I don't know everything okay. He said he was gonna play a prank. So we jumped him outside some guys apartment, tied him up took him to the wharf and then left him there."

"And today?"

"I don't know."

"Think genius. THINK!" Danny shouts.

"I don't know…look I don't know okay. He was pissed about something and that was it. He didn't come to class with me; said he had something to take care of and that's all I know…I swear," Aaron insists as Demarcus gestures with his head for Danny to step aside with him.

"What?"

"Just got a text on the last number Garth called. Bill Riley. Has a few priors, but didn't do major time; but those priors…extreme assault and battery. Danny both these guys are beyond bad," Demarcus informs Danny, whose heart instantly sinks. _Extreme…battery…_damn it kid you better be okay, Danny's mind inwardly laments.

"Hey kid…ever hear the name Bill Riley before?"

Aaron looks at Danton and then frowns. "Aaron you better tell what you know," Danton instructs.

"So what the hell happens to me if I cooperate?"

"Kid…you worry about saving your ass later. If something happens to Jamie Reagan, I'll be booking you as accessory to murder. You wanna be asking me that not him!" Danny snaps. "So start talkin'!"

"Okay fine…I don't know Bill personally…I swear I never met him but I heard his name mentioned before by Garth. But that Saturday…the night we left Jamie in the fish house we went to the bar and after a few drinks Garth said if Jamie wasn't gonna give in to his threat…"

"Threat? What threat?" Demarcus inquires.

"Drop out or else," Aaron confesses, making both Danny and Instructor Danton curse under their breath. "And the more Jamie pushed back…hey it was his own fault."

"Pardon?"

"Fine…whatever. Anyways so he starts going on about getting Bill to help make Jamie go away for good."

"Where!" Danny leans in closer, his face inches from Aaron's.

"Look kid we have enough to hold you on accessory to kidnapping…" Demarcus starts.

"But it wasn't…"

"Yeah we don't care. Now you better tell us where Garth and Bill took my BROTHER and you got three seconds!"

Aaron knows the gig is up; if they had actual photographic evidence from his phone, it would at least get him expelled. But if Garth was meaning to pin it all on him, there could be more serious charges handed down and doing jail time isn't what he had signed up for. So with a small curse, Aaron confesses where the thinks Garth might be taking Jamie – to his final resting place.

"Okay there's this place Garth talked about..."

"Good and you better pray we get there in time or you will be going down for murder one."

"What?" Aaron asks weakly. "Garth did this."

"Fine, arrest him as an accessory," Danny instructs Danton as he and Demarcus turn to leave.

"Hey you said…"

"Be happy I'm not doing it myself," Danny snaps before he and Demarcus turn and literally run for the front door, Danny calling for a bit of backup; not realizing who else would be getting the call – their father. "We better get there in time…damn we better make it," Danny mumbles over and over as Demarcus quickly slides into the driver's seat and they peel away from the Academy parking lot.

"We'll make it," Demarcus tries to assure his frantic partner.

"Yeah or else Jamie's death will be on my head," Danny admits with a sickening feeling starting to consume his entire frame. _Oh God please let me get there in time…please._

XXXXXXXX

"Commissioner," Baker comes into Frank's office with a frantic look on her usually placid expression.

"What is it Baker?"

"There's an urgent call for you from Officer Kendrick."

"Put him through," Frank instructs as he picks up the phone. "Officer Kendrick…what can I do for you?...What? Could you say that again?"

XXXXXXXX

Jamie feels the van starting to slow and then twists his head and looks up at Garth who looks back with a narrowed gaze.

"No one is ever gonna find you golden boy," Garth snickers as he hops into the back with Jamie. "You don't look very comfortable," he slightly snaps as he grabs the roll of duct tape; the van coming to a stop. "Come here!" Garth snaps as he grabs Jamie by the leg of his dark navy sweat pants and yanks him closer, flipping Jamie onto his stomach.

Jamie's eyes widen as he watches the back doors to the van open and the same stranger from the locker room appear. He looks at the unfamiliar surroundings at the same time his ears are forced to listen to the sickening sound of tape being ripped away.

"Trust me you don't know where we are…no one knows!" Garth growls as gets up and drags Jamie to the back edge of the van, fairly dumping him on the cold hard ground. Jamie frantically looks around the desolate surroundings, his mind and heart both racing at top speed. "But if you want a hint as to where your final resting place will be, watch Bill," Garth hisses as he kneels down beside Jamie's captive frame.

Jamie twists his head and looks to where the other man was walking and then stops, his world instantly slowing to a halt as he gazes upon the freshly dug pit.

"That's right…buried alive," Garth sneers as rips off another strip of tape and covers Jamie's eyes; sealing out light and hope. "Now Reagan…you will die!"

_NOOOO! _Jamie's mind shouts as Garth starts to drag him toward the open pit; Jamie's mind frantically calling out for help and a miracle to deliver him from this hell. This time…that prayer would be answered but not in the way he would expect.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Okay so will Danny make it in time? Will Jamie be buried alive? And what will Frank's reaction be when he's told the news? And any thoughts as to the last line and what it means for Jamie? I know more have left and again I do apologize and am sorry if I am boring you *eeks* to the rest sticking with me we don't have too much longer but we aren't quite yet haha sorry if that was kinda cryptic. So please do review before you go and thanks so much!


	18. Rescued from the Abyss

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 18 – Rescued from the Abyss**

* * *

><p>"Scott!"<p>

"What mom?"

"I told you, Aunt Marnie's coming today and I need the basement cleaned out for her."

"Okay but I gotta get a few more shots for my class project. I swear I won't be longer than an hour."

"Okay fine but you are taking Ian with you."

"Do I have to? He's a pest!"

"Yes you have to, he's your brother and I can't keep an eye on him and do this and…just take him and this," she shoves a phone in his hand.

"I have a phone mom."

"Out here things don't work that well…this one is a satellite phone. Just take it," she insists of her teenage son. "It'll give me some peace of mind while up here."

"Why are we up here? This is the damn boonies."

"Stop cursing and we are here because your father has been sent…we have been over this. Okay you have one hour and then I'll expect you both back here to help."

"Fine," Scott grumbles as he shoves the phone into his pocket and then looks at his little brother. "Come on kid lets go," he sighs as he mutters again, grabbing the digital camcorder and heading out the front door of their somewhat secluded cabin. His father, a project manager with a big developer was sent to the remote area on the outskirts of town in the hopes of finding an area to develop into a retreat for older adults; his family coming with him for the next month. Scott takes his brother Ian by the hand and leads him toward a path that would take them down to an area with a small pond.

"Okay so if you're gonna come with me you hafta abide by my rules okay?"

"Sure whatever," Ian shrugs, just happy to be with his brother and away from cleaning duties. "Where are we going?"

"I gotta get some outdoor shots and maybe film a bird or something for class…I don't know…this place is lame," Scott grunts as he nears a hill and then stops; his ears picking up screeching tires and then laughter.

"What's that?" Ian asks in haste.

"I don't know…hold here a sec."

"No. I don't want to stay alone," Ian pouts sadly, the nine year old boy not wanting to be alone in the very unfamiliar surroundings.

"Okay come with me but shut up already," Scott groans as he turns on his camera and gets ready to film what he thinks will be a few teenagers maybe smoking pot or a couple making out. However, as soon as he reaches the crest of the hill he drops to his belly as his jaw opens; his eyes and now recording camera fixed on the space below.

"Oh my god…" is all he can manage as he watches one man put duct tape over the eyes of the other and start to drag him toward an open pit.

XXXXXXXX

"Can't this damn car get there any faster?" Danny demands in anger as they speed toward what he hopes will be his brother's rescue and in time.

"Any faster and we'll crash," Demarcus huffs as Danny's phone buzzes.

Danny looks at the number and curses, choosing to ignore the important call.

"Who?"

"The PC," he grumbles, referring to his father's professional title.

"And you are ignoring it?" Demarcus asks in shock.

"I'll save the ass kicking for later, right now…damn it," Danny curses as his phone buzzes again; the urgency begging him to answer. "Hey," he finally answers.

_"Danny, where are you?"_

"What's going on dad?"

_"Where's Jamie?"_

"We have it on good authority that he's been kidnapped by Garth Robinson but we don't know for sure."

_"Why would Garth Robinson want to kidnap Jamie?" Frank demands with a hint of exasperation in his voice; the first of many demanding questions._

"Because he's a jealous psycho," Danny groans. "Look we don't know for sure but um…"

_"But what?"_

"Can we talk about this later?"

_"Where are you?"_

"Who called?"

_"Kendrick," Frank answers in truth, picking up Danny's curse. "Danny you better tell me what's going on."_

"I swear I will as soon as I get Jamie back," Danny replies in haste as he hangs up and then looks at his partner with a heavy frown. "What?

"Big difference between you and me pissin' the commish off and hangin' up on him…just sayin'," Demarcus retorts.

"Yeah whatever…lets just get there so we can catch this asshole in action and end this for good."

"I'm all for that."

_Hold on Jamie…please God just let him be alive when I get there._

XXXXXXXX

From the moment he had heard Garth tell him what he had planned for his final demise, Jamie's mind and heart skyrocket with painful panic; his body doing everything to try to twist and pull out of Garth's grasp and stall for time or a miracle or both. But with his feet bound and his wrists and arms bound tightly to his chest, it was a losing battle.

_HELP ME! _Jamie tries to shout, only a few muffled whimpers escaping the effective gag; eliciting only a snicker from his captor who was purposely dragging him slowly toward the open pit.

"No one can hear your pathetic calls Reagan!" Garth snickers as his fingers tighten around the material of Jamie's sweatshirt that he was dragging him with. "STOP TRYING TO STALL!" Garth stops and shouts, never realizing that everything he was doing was being filmed; undeniable evidence that would ultimately seal his fate. "YOU'RE GONNA DIE AND I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"

_HELP ME! _Jamie tries once more in vain, his struggles still continuing until Garth stops, lets go, kicks him hard in the stomach and then carries on, nearing the pit that he would soon dump Jamie in. Despite the pain reverberating throughout his entire frame, Jamie bites back the wince from his throbbing chest and tries again to struggle free.

_"Scott what's happening?"_

_"They um…are filming a movie," Scott whispers to his brother, having seen the gun the other guy was holding; the one by the pit._

_"But that one guy said he was gonna kill the other."_

_"Here take the phone and…"_

_"You can't go down there. I'm scared."_

_"I know me too, but um…I wanna watch a bit longer. Just watch okay?" Scott tells his brother, the button still recording everything transpiring down the other side if the hill. "But if it makes you feel better, take the phone and call the police okay?"_

_"Will mom get mad?"_

_"No. I promise. Now go and Ian…just be quiet."_

_"I can't; I don't know the way back."_

_"Okay you can text right? Send a text to 911. Do it now."_

"Nice hole you dug for me Bill, think it'll fit Jamie here?"

"Oh trust me he's gonna enjoy his new bed for a bit," Bill snickers as Garth finally lets go of Jamie's struggling frame.

_This can't be happening…he's joking right? Oh god this can't be happening…please don't let this happen…PLEASE! _

"This is gonna happen and you will be buried alive," Garth hisses as if picking out Jamie's inaudible panicked thoughts, as he bends down and grabs a handful of Jamie's sweaty hair. "Just remember to hold your breath," his voice turns deadly before he does the unthinkable.

_NO…OH GOD NO…._Jamie's mind spirals downward as he feels his bound body falling; the temperature dropping rapidly until he slams into the dark earthen floor, his mind yelling at his merciless captor for some lenience. But none was to be forthcoming. His bound legs try to kick ahead and then behind; his mind quickly realizing the utter futility of his situation, it really was a sunken gravesite; his ill-fated final resting place.

"This is it Reagan. No more bargaining for your life…no more begging…no more deals. NOW YOU DIE!" Garth shouts as he stands up and grabs the shovel from Bill. "I warned you!" He growls as he scoops up a shovel full of dirt and then tosses it onto Jamie's still struggling frame.

_NO…THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING! _Jamie's lungs gasp for air, his exposed skin feeling the bits of dirt bouncing off, his ears drowning in the cruel laughter from overhead. _HELP ME! _Jamie tries as another scoopful of dirt is tossed onto his bound frame, his eyes wet under the now sticky tape, his nose taking in a few bits of dirt, making him cough and recoil, his stomach tight and about to throw up its acidic contents.

"Yeah thought you were so smart…well I'm the one in charge now!" Garth shouts as he tosses anther scoopful onto Jamie's sweat-clad frame.

_GARTH NO! DON'T DO THIS…PLEASE…_

"You know you really should try to conserve your energy," Garth snickers as he tosses another scoopful of dirt onto his captive a few meters below; Jamie's room to move shrinking by the minute and his body rapidly cooling, nervous shivers taking over.

_DANNY! HELP ME! PLEASE GOD…PLEASE LET HIM GET HERE IN TIME…PLEASE_

While the tight gag was hindering his breathing it was also serving to keep dirt out of his mouth, keeping his lungs still moist with saliva; although that too was rapidly depleting. He could feel the dirt around him starting to build, pressing in around his captive frame and hampering his struggles; soon air would be cut off as well and then….death.

_HELP ME!_

"Wow really? You're still struggling?" Garth looks up at Bill, who was still standing guard with the gun poised and very exposed.

_"Ian did you text them?"_

_"I think so. What do we do now Scott?"_

_"Just stay down and wait for the police to arrive."_

_"Should we call mom?"_

_Scott looks at the two men and the guns and remembers from TV how things work out for those that surprise mob types, who he figures these two guys are. The innocent always die. As much as he felt sorry for the guy in the hole there was nothing they could do. _

_"Can you talk really softly and call her to call the police?"_

_"What do I say?"_

"Hey you!" Garth shouts, forcing Scott to look back and Ian to instantly stop talking. "Reagan!" Garth snickers. "You still with us?"

_SHUT UP YOU SICK BASTARD…SOMEONE…HELP ME!_

But as much as his mind didn't want to acknowledge it, his body was starting to lose the struggle battle; the cold harsh dirt had nearly covered his now shivering frame; bits of dark earth clinging to any piece of sweaty skin it could find and adding more coolness to his depleting energy. He was still on his side, with half his face now in the dirt, twisting his head upward was proving painful and his captor's unending cruel laughter had already eaten through his placid exterior. Hope was fading.

"Aww almost covered!" Garth laughs as he looks at Bill who merely snickers back. "Hold on I want to take a picture as a souvenir."

Garth reaches into his pocket and then looks up at Bill with a mild look of panic.

"What?" Bill asks in haste as he looks at the panicked expression on Garth's face.

"My phone…my damn phone isn't here."

"So what? Maybe you left it in the locker? Hurry and lets get the hell outta here…he's almost dead anyways," Bill mentions, forcing Jamie's heart to painfully surge, his eyes wet and his mind still begging for a miracle.

"I want to finish him off FOR GOOD!" Garth shouts as he picks up an extra heavy scoopful of the nearby dirt and tosses it onto Jamie's face, his head not having much room for movement any more.

_Danny…_his voice silently pleads in misery. _Please…help me…oh god please…please…._

"Ah don't look so tough now Reagan!" Garth laughs as he dumps another heaping scoopful, Jamie's frame nearly covered.

_This can't be…please god…please…_Jamie's mind continues to beg, his brain commanding his lungs to slow in their breathing, a technique Danny had told him a year earlier. But as he hears Bill saying to add one more and he'd be completely covered, his heart rate once again soars and his mind explodes in terror, fresh tears wetting his eyes.

"Saved the best for last…goodbye Reagan…see you in HELL!" Garth shouts as he tosses the last heaping scoopful onto Jamie's head and then tossing the shovel into the grave with him and covering it. "Now to go back, get my father to write me a note that I suddenly felt ill and had to go to the doctor's and yeah…" Garth starts to laugh as he tries to smooth out the area around the pit so it wouldn't stick out. "I WIN!" He shouts down at Jamie's now lightly dirt covered frame, slapping Bill on the back as the two of them walk away.

_"Scott!" Ian hisses as he peeks his head over the ridge, his brother still watching and filming. "What do we do?"_

_"We wait until they leave and then call the police. You call the police I gotta go help the guy."_

_"No…you can't leave me here."_

_"He could be alive," Scott hisses in return as he and his little brother watch Bill's van screech away; the area around them now still; Jamie's muffled cries for help lost in the earth surrounding him. _

But just before they can move from place, both Scott and Ian pick up the sounds of police sirens heading their way. "It worked…the call went through!" Scott exclaims as he looks proudly at his brother.

"Can we go home now?" Ian whines; Scott looks at the camera and then at his brother and frowns. He had captured every second on tape, complete with audio, the police would need it. But would he have to identify the ones responsible? If so would that put his family in danger? He remembers from TV how the families of those who come forward against the mob always were ratted out and died.

"Yeah…let's go home."

XXXXXXXX

"Just up ahead…look fresh tire marks," Danny points; two other uniformed cars falling into place behind them, backup finally converging on the same spot.

Danny doesn't even wait for the car to stop before he gets out and races for the small pond, Aaron having mentioned something about a drowning.

_"No…no the other way," Scott groans as he watches Danny running away from the shallow grave. "Ian I gotta help the police."_

_"No…I'm scared."_

_"Me to but they are the good guys."_

_"You can't tell."_

_"That guy could still be alive."_

"JAMIE!" Danny shouts frantically.

_Danny? DANNY! _Jamie's mind hears his brother's voice and tries to call out, the heavy earth keeping him still and quiet.

"JAMIE!" Demarcus calls out as well as he nears the waters edge with Danny.

"I don't see him…I don't see…damn it where the hell..." his voice trails off as he looks at his menacing glare in the waters reflection.

"Danny the water isn't disturbed."

"He's here!" Danny growls. But a few seconds later both him and his partner hear a branch crack to their left and quickly turn; both guns trained.

"Please don't shoot!" Scott holds up his hands in the air. "The guy you want…he's over there!" Scott points to the area of smoothed out dirt. "He was just buried."

"WHAT!" Danny's yells as he turns and bolts for the pit, his mind about to literally explode. He tosses his gun to the ground; an item his partner quickly retrieves and then gestures to another uniformed officer to help.

"JAMIE! If you can hear…oh god let him be…JAMIE!" Danny shouts as he starts to claw the freshly disturbed ground. He could feel his fingers starting to get colder and colder but as soon as he feels a lump he knows he's found his prize. "Garth you sick son of a…." Danny's voice trails off as he finally feels hair and starts to claw faster, the other officers digging around his legs; Demarcus talking to Scott and now Ian who had joined them.

"Jamie!" Danny shouts as he finally uncovers his brother's face, a few tears falling from his eyes and dropping onto his brother's pale dirty skin. "Jamie!" Danny continues to call as he rips the tape from his eyes and lips, yanking the damp gag free. His ear at his mouth, praying for even the smallest breath; his facing cringing at Jamie's cool skin on his. "Come on kid…please."

"Danny," Jamie utters in so soft a whisper, Danny's heart instantly shatters.

"GET HIM OUT!" Danny demands in anger as he pulls at Jamie's head, completely freeing it of the cold earthen blanket and trying frantically trying to get his shoulders out but not realizing that his own frame was impeding is progress.

"Danny let them…"

"I can't…Jamie…you gotta stay with me kid."

"Cold," Jamie whispers as he struggles to open his watery eyes and look up at his brother in torment. "Sorry."

"No…no shhhh okay, your gonna be…get him out!" Danny growls in frustration as he takes off his coat; Jamie's frame nearly free of this earthly grave. "Jamie…just stay awake okay?"

"Sorry…"

"No…stop saying that," Danny begs in sorrow as he looks down at his brother in misery.

"Cold…"

"I know kid…I know we're getting you…CUT HIM LOSE ALREADY!" Danny shouts and then turns back to Jamie in misery. "Just stay awake okay."

One of the officers pulls a knife, carefully cutting Jamie's legs free and then the tape around his chest; taking a universal key and undoing the cuffs – Jamie's final restraint before a kneeling Danny gathers up his brother's still frame and holds him tightly in his grasp.

"Garth…Garth will pay for THIS!" Danny's voice starts in low anger and then shouts for all around to hear. He looks at his partner and frowns; the two of them thinking and knowing the same thing – they didn't catch him in the act and unless someone saw the whole thing and could prove it they were once again stuck. "I know…we need firm evidence that puts him in the act," Danny huffs in sorrow, drawing Scott's immediate attention.

"No…more."

"Trust me, he won't ever hurt you again," Danny promises.

"Tired."

"I know. Jamie…just stay with me okay…an ambulance is on its way," Danny whispers to his brother as another officer brings a blanket from the trunk of the cruiser. "Here…just stay awake okay."

"Your brother's gonna be fine," Demarcus comments, making Scott look up in wonder.

"That's his brother?" Scott asks softly.

"Yeah," Demarcus nods.

"Oh."

"Kid if you know something…" Danny looks up with a pleading tone.

Scott looks at Danny cradling his brother and then looks over at Ian's scared face and feels a lump form in his throat before he turns back to Danny with a heavy frown.

"If I tell will me and my family die?"

"Huh? Die?" Demarcus interjects.

"No why?"

"The guy…was he from the mob?"

"And on TV anyone that testifies against the mob dies?" Demarcus looks at the young teen with some amusement before his face turns serious and Scott nods.

"That punk Garth is not the mob!"

"Danny…" his partner warns. "Kid…"

"Scott."

"Scott, nothing's gonna happen okay? You saw who did this right? You saw the guy?" Danny questions, to which Scott slowly nods his head. "I give you my word you and your family will be safe. I'll show you a picture and…did he see you? Either of you?"

"No Sir."

"Demarcus you have a picture of dumbass and what's his drivers name?"

"Actually…" Scott pauses as he slowly pulls out his camera and shows it to the anxious gathering of officers. "I caught it all on tape. Does that help?"

"Yeah kid…more than you know."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Okay so I hope the part with the boys helping out in the rescue was a surprise (always like to keep you guys on your toes and interested lol) and hope you liked it. But don't despair, the arrest is next (Garth is done for) and I do hope you like what I come up with for that also. And what do you think Frank's gonna do next? And some hurt/comfort for the brothers up next. So please do review before you go and thanks so much!


	19. Surviving the Darkness

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 19 – Surviving the Darkness**

* * *

><p>From the moment the last scoopful of dirt had covered his face to the time he finally heard Danny's voice and felt hands digging him out felt like the worlds longest, painful eternity. He had tried to keep his breathing shallow, but dirt was everywhere, the cold earth pressing in all around him and it was hard to keep his race from nearly beating out of his chest.<p>

_Danny! HELP ME! _He had called out over and over, his brain telling him it was futile and he couldn't be found until he was dead – Garth had actually won. Even when he heard Danny's voice calling his name he refused to believe it was real until he felt hands around his head, frantically digging around his head, a few more holes to breathe from. His body was cold and numb as the dirt was pulled away and he was finally plucked free from his dark shallow grave. But it wasn't until the blindfold was taken off and his brain allowed his watery eyes to focus on Danny's concerned expression that he allowed himself to believe he was safe and alive.

He had heard Danny shouting for an ambulance and then talking to a stranger…a kid? A kid with a videotape? He had caught it all on tape? Did he hear that right or was that just his deluded brain teasing him and he'd once again be back at square one having to endure Garth's stupidity until they had something solid to get him out of the academy hopefully for good.

"Garth…" Jamie manages as he looks up at Danny with a heavy frown.

"Just rest okay…he's gonna be taken care of."

"Is he okay?" Jamie hears a small voice and turns to see a little boy looking at him with curious eyes.

"Yeah…he's gonna be just fine. What's your name?"

"It's Ian, and sorry if he's a pest," Scott huffs with an annoyed tone as he pulls his little brother back.

"Ah yeah little brothers have a way of bringing out the worst in their older brothers it seems," Danny smirks as he looks at Ian with a small smile. "Its okay kid. And yeah Jamie's gonna be just fine."

Jamie finally hears sirens nearing and feels his body slightly stiffen and his agitation rise, something not lost on his current protector.

"Finally a real bed is coming," Danny slightly teases as he looks down at Jamie's pale face with a heavy frown. Dark outlines of a heavy bruise were showing and he couldn't wait to get his hands on Garth, telling himself he'd only need a few seconds alone to dish out some Irish justice. Danny feels Jamie's body still shaking and curses the fact that the ambulance seemed to be taking longer than normal to arrive.

"Cold," Jamie merely mentions as he tries to get his shaking fingers back under the blanket.

"I know hold on okay," Danny looks down with a tender glance. "He'll never…hurt you again."

"Danny…" is all Jamie manages before the ambulance comes to a halt a few feet away and medics rush toward them.

"I'm with you all the way kid okay…all the way," Danny assures his brother just as his partner returns with Scott and Ian's mother. "Is she gonna cooperate?"

"Yeah. You lucked out in getting the right family for this," Demarcus replies as he holds up the now evidence sealed camcorder. "This…this is Garth's arrest warrant right here. A small private hearing for a judge if needed and we can arrest that jerk tonight."

"Good get it as soon as you can."

"On it," Demarcus heads back to the waiting family; telling them what would happen next and leaving Danny to tend to Jamie.

Danny pulls out his buzzing phone and inwardly groans at his father's number; nearing the stretcher that Jamie was now being strapped down to. He watches Jamie starting to thrash a bit and then gently touches his cold cheek, making Jamie's somewhat frantic expression quickly turn his way.

"What's up? You hafta go to the hospital," Danny insists.

Jamie's cold, shaking fingers reach for the oxygen mask, prompting Danny to gently help him lift it up so he could be audibly heard. "Don't…wanna be…strapped down."

"Ah okay I got it…but if they don't and you roll off the stretcher you'll hurt yourself even more. I promise you'll be okay."

Knowing it was just panicked adrenaline dictating his actions, Jamie finally collapses onto the stretcher and allows the two medics to put two thick blankets on him and then strap him to the stretcher for transport, Danny following behind and leaving the rest of the uniformed officers to take care of the crime scene, the forensic team now on site and gathering whatever else they could to lend a few more nails in Garth Robinson's professional coffin.

_"Danny where are you?" _Is the gruff question, Frank demands of his oldest son as soon as Danny was seated next to Jamie in the ambulance and it was on its way to the ER.

"Right here with Jamie."

_"He's okay then?"_

"He…he is," Danny winks at Jamie before he answers his father with a small sigh.

_"When are you going to tell me the whole story?"_

"Where are you?" Danny counters.

_"Tell me where I should be," Frank retorts._

"Heading toward the ER. We'll see you there."

Danny shoves his phone back into his pocket and then notices a small fleck of dirt now battling with Jamie's eyelash. His fingers gently brush it away, getting an appreciative nod of thanks from his brother. "Um…anything feel broken?" Danny dares to inquire, exhaling thankfully when Jamie shakes his head no in response. "You did good."

"Scared," Jamie manages to be heard through the thick plastic mask.

"Yeah…I um…I can't imagine," Danny replies honestly, his mind thinking back to some of the things he had to endure while in the military; but the fear of being buried alive was always at the top, one of the worst and one that he was thankful he didn't have to ever face. He knows that Jamie will have nightmares, they all would, especially when it came time to view the footage in its entirety; sugar coating it would be unreasonable.

Danny looks at Jamie and then at the medic, contemplating for a few seconds to take off the oxygen mask so that he could talk to him about what else Garth either said or did that could help him bring him to justice once and for all. But knowing that Jamie's lungs sustained quite the ordeal, he mutters a frustrated grumble under his breath and forces himself to wait until Jamie was done in the ER.

They finally arrive and Danny enters the ER to see Frank stop his pacing and rush toward them.

"Jamie!" Frank exclaims as Jamie curses the fact his arms were still strapped down and he couldn't pull down the mask. "I need to talk to my son."

"Sir, we need to take him to be examined and then for a few x-rays. It's just a precaution as it didn't appear that anything was broken. We'll call you as soon as he's done."

"Why is he so pale? What happened?" Frank turns back to Danny with an expectant stare. "The whole truth now."

"Garth Robinson kidnapped Jamie and buried him alive. That's it in a nutshell."

"Oh god…" Frank hisses as he shakes his head and then takes Danny aside. "What brought this on?"

Danny looks at his father and frowns, knowing that the whole truth would now have to be revealed and it would only give birth to more anxiety-filled questions.

"Garth has been targeting Jamie since he started the academy."

"What? That's been a few months now."

"I know…I know…it was his call not to tell anyone."

"He told you?"

"Not exactly…."

"Daniel Reagan," Frank warns firmly.

"Garth has tried a few things in the past but this is the first time he's gone this far. Jamie wanted to be wired and so for the past few days he has been; hoping to get enough of Garth's verbal threats on record so that we could at least get him expelled from his term and he could…whatever…go next term."

"And this is the first physical altercation?" Frank inquires.

"Not exactly," Danny groans. "Look have this conversation with him."

"I will, but I'm asking you. You obviously agreed to the wire, what else did you help him with?"

"A few things here and there," Danny sighs as he slumps down in the nearest chair. "Jamie knew going in that with his name he'd be a target of names…bullying…favoritism…whatever. So far it's been standard stuff…Garth was just…just on him from the start he told me. But he didn't tell me from the start."

"He wanted to handle it on his own," Frank sighs as he slumps down next to Danny.

"Dad when I got there…we talked to Garth's friend Aaron, which is why we even knew were to go. But um…we got there and I thought he had drown him…I rushed to the water…and nothing. Dad if those kids hadn't come along when they did…."

"Kids?"

"Two kids out doing some research for a project and filmed the whole thing. They got me to Jamie within minutes after Garth had left. If I hadn't gotten there…" Danny's voice trails off once more as he stands up and then looks at the ER doors. "It woulda been my fault."

"The only person to blame here is Garth Robinson," Frank states firmly as Danny sits down beside him once more. "Tell me truthfully…did your brother offer himself as bait?"

"No…it was just the wire but I know he was getting pretty anxious to get Garth off his back. I mean what kind of ass wants to kill someone over the same class?"

"Depends on how deep his pride runs? After what you just told me, apparently pretty deep. However, that pride is also going to result in an even bigger fall. Did you get a chance to talk to Jamie about it?"

"You mean if Garth said anything to him? No…not yet. There was no time in the ambulance. He was so determined this morning to get Garth out of the way…damn I never should have agreed."

"Your brother is going to be just fine. He comes from good stock," Frank lightly quips.

"Anyone else know?" Danny inquires, referring to the family first.

"I wanted to know what I was dealing with first. I'm gonna talk to Jamie and then call pop and Erin. You call Linda yet?"

"Nah…was waiting also. Didn't want to alarm her or the boys. I guess that means um…Sydney doesn't know."

"Maybe for the best," Frank comments. "She wasn't exactly keen on him joining the academy in the first place. I'm sure once this is all taken care of things will be back to normal there."

"I hope so," Danny answers as a doctor walks up to them.

"Mr. Reagan?"

"Is my son okay?"

"He's gonna be just fine. A few bruised ribs and his heart and lungs sustained some trauma as well, but we took x-rays and did a full body scan and no brain injuries or broken bones," the doctor assures them.

"Thank God," Frank whispers softly in heartfelt thanks.

"He's suffered some hypothermia and we've put him into the heating room for a few hours. But after that he'll be free to go home and just rest."

"Can we see him?" Danny asks in haste.

"Course. Come with me."

XXXXXXXX

Jamie's nerves didn't stop shaking until he was put into the heating room and the warmth finally started to penetrate his cool frame. He had been told by the doctor that nothing was broken and he'd suffered no brain damage or internal injuries; much to his relief. He settles into the warm bed, his body only covered with his black boxers as he was told that he had to allow the heat to penetrate his entire frame as much as possible. A fluid IV was also hooked up but otherwise he was unencumbered.

He feels himself starting to get drowsy from the intense warmth, but just as soon as his eyelids start to slide down, he hears the door handle slowly turning and feels his stomach instantly tighten and he forces them back open. For a few brief, tormented seconds, he watches Garth enter with an evil smile; but that image quickly fades as soon as Danny's voice is heard.

"You descent kid?" Danny lightly teases as he enters, Frank right behind him.

Jamie watches his father near and closes his eyes as he feels his father's strong arms slightly gather him up and hold him tightly against his chest.

"Jamie…" Frank whispers as he holds his youngest son close, not wanting to let go. "Danny told me what happened."

"Dad, I'm sorry. I thought that if I had…" Jamie starts to rattle in haste, only to stop as soon as Frank lowers him back to the bed and gives him a small frown.

"First off there is nothing for you to be sorry about."

"I should have told you right from the start."

"Figured there was something wrong but I'm not mad, worried yes but not mad. I taught you boys to try to deal with things on your own so I understand but at the same time…if this kid Garth Robinson was indeed breaking the law as Danny said he was, you should have told me that."

"I know…" Jamie huffs as he casts Danny a weak glance and then back up at his father. "I just wanted him to leave me alone."

"Well he will now," Danny pipes up, earning a small glare from his father. "What?" Danny shrugs in his defense. "He will."

"Danny told me some of the um…painful details…"

"Garth tried to bury me alive," Jamie states with a small gasp.

"I know…but he'll never get the chance to hurt you again. Did he say anything you before…"

"He said he's gonna get his dad to write him a doctor's note so he has an alibi for leaving."

"He did," Frank states more than queries as he looks over at Danny who shrugs again.

"That might be on the tape," Danny informs them as he nears the bed. "Demarcus is processing everything right now and getting me my warrants. I'll take care of Garth and I'll send Quincy to arrest the accomplice."

"I think I'll go and have a talk with Administrator Robinson."

"Dad…"

"Don't worry Danny, I'm not gonna tip my hand. Do you think he knows what his son is up to?"

"Some of it, the bullying and stuff…but today? I doubt it. I shook down that kid Aaron pretty good and even he didn't know much," Danny replies in truth. "I think he found Jamie's wire and went ballistic. The call from his cell to his accomplice Bill was only this morning…this wasn't that planned."

"We still have evidence to put him away for this right?" Jamie asks in fearful haste; afraid that somehow a loophole might present itself and he'd be squaring off against Garth once more.

"If that tape has everything the kid claims yes…in fact…" Danny pauses as he pulls his phone. "Lemme check see what we got," he excuses himself to go and call his partner for an update; leaving father and youngest Reagan son alone.

"Are you comfortable?" Frank asks as he helps Jamie slightly adjust his pillow and then pulls his blanket back up over his shoulders.

"Still feel cold," Jamie admits in truth.

"That's normal. Any tingling?"

"Some but at least the feeling of wanting to throw up is gone. Dad I'm sorry I never told you anything about this. I wanted to but um…I just hoped that if I told him it was stupid to be after me for a few classes that he'd just let it go."

"I don't think he's the type that could ever just let it go," Frank tries to reason. "Jamie you did nothing wrong. You want to blame someone for this…blame your grandfather," Frank smirks.

"Why?"

"He never changed our last name when going into the NYPD."

"Ah," Jamie's pink-tinged lips try to crack a half smile before his face turns into a frown.

"What is it son?"

"I can't close my eyes without um…" he stops and then slightly turns his head away.

"Talking it will make it better."

"I was scared."

"I know you were…I'd be too," Frank admits as Jamie turns back to him.

"I still hear his voice laughing down at me…feel my heart about to explode…I couldn't breathe…couldn't move…I was scared," Jamie admits weakly.

"Being buried alive is a common fear of most people. But you survived and Garth's going to jail for attempted murder and a whole host of other charges. He'll never hurt you again," Frank's hand gives Jamie's cool limb a comforting squeeze.

"I never wanted any of this."

"I know you didn't. His pride got in the way…sadly it's going to be his downfall also," Frank utters softly as Danny returns. "Well?"

"Demarcus said watched the whole thing and um…the sound was kinda lame in a few parts but we got…we got enough to put him away for good," Danny assures him. "We got his name…got his threats…got some other stuff and got the part with him implicating his father. It's all there. Its solid evidence. The kid might not even need to go before the judge unless there's an issue with….this will be over soon."

"I'm going to make sure of that."

"I want to be there," Jamie utters in haste, making both Frank and Danny look at him in surprise.

"No Jamie I don't think…" Frank starts.

"I want to be…" he starts too fast and then pauses to cough before starting up again, "there at Danny's side when he arrests him. I want to prove to him I'm not afraid."

"You don't need to prove anything that bastard," Danny replies gruffly.

"Please dad…I need to do this…for me?" Jamie weakly begs his father, his anguished expression and soft pleading voice, tearing at his father's heart in seconds; forcing him to give in.

"I understand the need for some closure. Danny…"

"He can barely stand on his own," Danny replies with a heavy frown as he nears Jamie's bed. But as he gazes at Jamie's tormented expression he knows inside that he'd want the same treatment; he'd want to be there to offer some personal satisfaction to Garth, able to look him in the eye, knowing his professional life was over and his brother's was just starting. "Fine…we'll do it tomorrow morning."

"But…not tonight?" Jamie inquires as Frank prepares to leave.

"Nah I have a better idea."

"Danny," Frank utters his oldest child's name with a heavy sigh.

"It's legal."

"Will it give him time to get rid of the evidence?" Frank looks at him square on and Danny groans. "Jamie…we might not have time."

"If it was Bill's car then we can arrest him first and…I have an idea," Danny suddenly mentions as he pulls his phone and quickly calls his partner.

"A terrifying notion," Frank offers in soft sarcasm, bringing a small smile to Jamie's lips.

"I hafta be a part of this."

"And you will," Danny states as he hangs up. "All taken care of."

"Okay I am going to talk to the Police Academy Administrator," Frank tells them both as he leans in and plants a tender kiss on Jamie's forehead, pulling back and giving his shoulder a small squeeze. "I'll see you at home tonight."

Both brothers watch their father leave and then Jamie watches Danny removing his coat and suit jacket. "Damn it's hot in here," Danny lightly grumbles as he tugs at the knot in his tie.

"You don't hafta stay."

"Ah Linda said I need to lose a few pounds, here I can just sweat it off," Danny smirks as he pulls a chair up to Jamie's bed.

"She did?"

"I just throw it back on her good cooking," Danny retorts.

"What's she say about that?"

"She blames me for letting Demarcus run after the bad guys," he replies with a small chuckle.

"Think I should tell Sydney about all this?" Jamie suddenly asks.

"That's your call but um…" Danny leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees, studying Jamie's still pale complexion in concern.

"Would you if Linda was as paranoid and um…unsupportive?"

Danny looks at the somewhat nervous expression on Jamie's face and frowns. As much as he wanted to lie to his brother to save face, he knows in his heart he can't – not after all he's been through. "No…I wouldn't."

"Thought as much. I know it'll just be something for her to get after me about for switching jobs."

"Then save yourself the hassle," Danny replies softly as he notices Jamie's eyes struggling to stay open. "But we can talk more later. Just close your eyes okay?"

"Not tired."

"Liar."

"Danny, I don't want to go to sleep," Jamie insists.

"Yeah well you need all the strength you can get to face what's his name tomorrow at my side without him thinkin' your gonna fall over at any second. Trust me…you are safe now."

"Promise me you'll be here when I wake up?"

"Promise," Danny assures him.

Jamie hesitates somewhat before closing his eyes, his body begging him to give in to the comforting warmth and restore the strength and energy he had used up during his near death ordeal. As much as he tells himself that tomorrow will end his ordeal with Garth Robinson for good, he still has to get through the rest of the day and that meant full speed ahead into nightmarish darkness.

Danny looks at Jamie's face as it crunches in pain as he endures the first of many nightmares to come; knowing the few hours ahead would be long and somewhat painful for both of them. But come what may, he'd already silently vowed to be there for his brother no matter what – guilt and love were now pushing him to do so. He feels his fists tighten, but then quickly reminds himself that very soon this would all be over – for good and then it was back on track and he would now be giving his brother his full support to follow in the Reagan footsteps.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Okay I didn't want to rush the family moments but Garth's final day is up next so stay tuned for that. What do you think Frank's discussion will entail? And how to you think Garth's arrest will go down? I hope you liked this update and please do review before you go and thanks so much!


	20. Fighting an Uphill Battle

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 20 – Fighting an Uphill Battle **

**A/N: A special thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed so far – much appreciated! I know the new review system seems to change all the time lol but if you have an account please try to log in as much as possible b/c that way I know who to thank. To Iris you don't have an account and I can't thank you on other social media sites (i.e. FB or twitter) thank you so much for your time to read and review – most appreciated! To those that forget – well thanks but I don't know who to thank personally lol and I always reply to my reviews. So hope you all like this update just as much and THANK YOU ALL! :)**

* * *

><p>Despite the heat in the room, Danny finds himself unable to actually close his eyes and sleep; images of digging out his brother from the shallow grave haunting his subconscious state. He looks over at Jamie and utters an inward curse; he couldn't even imagine what tormented and haunting images Jamie was seeing as every twenty or so minutes, he'd be pulled from another lifelike nightmare by an anguished cry. He had only thrown up once and told Danny that his body was starting to feel a bit better as the hypothermia was finally starting to fully diminish. But what would the days ahead hold for his youngest sibling? Torment without a doubt. At least he could take some small comfort in the fact that as of tomorrow, Garth Robinson would be put away for good.<p>

Danny's phone buzzes, his hands reaching for it and his movements making Jamie look over in wonder. Danny reads the message and then looks up to see Jamie watching.

"From dad?"

"No from Demarcus…they got Garth's accomplice. They found the car and inside was the shovel, the duct tape and a few other things. It was a surprise so we don't think he got to call Garth and warn him."

"Danny I want…" Jamie exclaims in haste as he tries to stand up.

"Whoa…hold on there kid," Danny gently pushes his brother back down. "Garth thinks he has this…he'll probably come in tomorrow like nothing's happened."

"But…"

"Just relax okay," Danny talks in a softer tone as he pushes some damp strands off Jamie's forehead. "You finally got some color back into you."

"I feel better. Just tired."

"Yeah figured you wouldn't get much sleeping done. But being in this sauna was about getting your body to warm back up so you could go home and…"

"Shower?" Jamie interjects eagerly.

"Yeah and then rest."

"Where's dad?"

"Well…" Danny looks at his watch and then back at his brother. "Probably about to enter Mr. Robinson's office. Yeah sucks to be him as well tomorrow."

"Dad's not gonna arrest him today?"

"Just relax okay, Garth's gonna get his tomorrow. Jamie…"

"I just need to use the bathroom okay?" Jamie huffs as he slowly sits up, the heat instantly making him dizzy and halting his actions. Danny's strong hand rests on his sweat clad back and just helps him remain in place until he was ready to fully upright himself on his own. Jamie looks at the clock and frowns, his mind instantly wondering what his father was now facing with Garth's father.

XXXXXXXX

"Commissioner, come in."

"Bruce," Frank extends his hand to the Police Academy administrator.

"So what brings you by Frank? Surprise inspection?" He inquires; something well within the rights of the NYPD Police Commissioner and an action that wouldn't raise eyebrows.

"Sure. It's nearing the end of the first seasonal semester and thought I'd check and see how our new recruits are doing?"

"Yeah fine…anyone in particular you are wondering about?"

"Jamie gives me his daily updates on how he thinks he's doing if that's what you're wondering," Frank answers with an even tone. "I am wondering about some of the others."

"I've seen the preliminary marks and Jamie is excelling in the law area as I'm sure you're aware. Maria Romano is taking top marks in the weapons area so far and Tyson Collier in the physical stuff. The rest is still too soon to tell but we have a few more rising stars to be proud of."

"That's great, and how's Garth doing?"

"Fine. He's had some ups and downs but is holding his own for the most part. Did you come here to ask specifically about him?"

"Is he in today?"

"He was but um…he left and had to go to the doctor's. Poor kida musta ate something that didn't agree with him last night. Called and said he was at the doctor's sick to his stomach."

"Well I hope whatever it is, it isn't catching," Frank states as he commands his mind to control his tongue; the sting was only being set right now, Danny would do the full honors with Jamie at his side in the morning – he owed his sons that much.

"Ah he said he' d probably be okay come morning. But if you want to stop by and see Jamie by all means, am sure he'd like that."

"Oh no…I don't want to interrupt anything. I just came by to see how things are running. So how are things in the financial area?" Frank continues, not wanting to arouse too much suspicion but knowing it was hard to hear Garth's father just so blindly accept his lies, and then pass them on without even challenging them. That would all end tomorrow.

XXXXXXXX

"Jamie?" Danny softly knocks on the bathroom door.

"Yeah hold on a sec," Jamie frowns as he slowly pulls his sweater back down, covering over the purpleish marks on his pale skin. He pulls the door open to see Danny watching him with an expectant expression.

"I'm glad I don't like to garden," Jamie deadpans, making Danny smirk and gently pat him on the back. "But I'm not looking forward to tonight. I grew out of wanting to have a night light but um…but I don't think I'll be very fond of the dark."

"There's nothing wrong with a nightlight after all that," Danny assures Jamie just as they reach the bed. Still not fully physically recovered, Jamie's legs start to buckle, forcing Danny to quickly grab his brother and hold on. "Ah okay so looks like we're staying here a bit more."

"Danny I can make it…it's just the warmth in here. I'm fine really."

"Just rest a bit okay. Save the stubbornness for later."

Invisible arms reach up and pull Jamie back into the warm nest of covers without much hesitation; Jamie's mind however, still afraid to close his eyes for fear of the horrific nightmares about being buried alive resurface. "What was your first year like?"

"As a rookie?"

"No sorry…in the academy. Tell me what you faced," Jamie lightly implores.

Danny settles back into his chair and looks over at his brother with a weary frown but knows inside that Jamie really wasn't interested in hearing a story he had already heard a few times; he just needed something other than the mounting silence for his mind to focus on as he struggles to remain awake.

Sure enough the ploy works and soon Jamie's eyes close under the comforting sound of his brother's tone, his body settling a bit more under the warm covers. Danny gently pulls the covers up to his neck to preserve the gaining body heat and then sits back and pulls his phone, sending a status update to his father and asking him about his visit in return.

_'Garth played his father expertly, either that or his father knows and is covering up. My guess, he doesn't know exactly what his son is up to. But the hammer falls tomorrow. How's Jamie?' F_

_'Lotsa nightmares & of course he's agitated as we all would be after that. Another few hours & I'll bring him home. Demarcus booked the accomplice & forensics is running the shovel and a few other items including the ones we found on Jamie like the cuffs. See you tonight.' D_

Danny puts his phone down and then looks over at Jamie just as his face screws with pain and feels his own stomach tighten.

"Garth…no…don't…don't…kill me," Jamie mumbles and Danny's stomach tightens as well.

_One more day…just one more day you rotten bastard, _Danny 's mind growls in silence as he frowns as Jamie's face crunches even tighter and few more tormented words escape his lips. Another ten minutes of watching his brother in torment before Jamie bolts upright in the small bed, gasping for air and bringing Danny quickly to his aid.

"Danny…c-can…'t br-eathe…" Jamie gasps as Danny gently pats his back.

"Just take a deep breath…you're safe. Deep breath…" Danny tries to soothe. Danny feels Jamie's finger grab his hand and squeeze as his lungs struggle to get hold of a normal breath of air. Danny's hand wraps around Jamie's for extra reassurance, his mind silently adding that he'd never let go until Jamie was ready. But as he feels Jamie's frame start to slightly tremble his heart starts to sink as he knows that Jamie needs more help than he can offer to get past this. "You know you gotta talk to someone other than me about this right."

"Danny I'll be fine."

"Jamie you were buried alive," Danny replies point blank, giving his youngest sibling an unseen punch to the gut. Jamie feels himself wince at Danny's words but knows he's right, the image of himself in the ground being covered with dirt…the cold earth closing in around him…the mocking laughter followed by sickening silence…and then air slowly leaving him until…nothing. He feels himself give a sharp intake of air, prompting Danny to look down in haste.

"I know," Jamie mere acknowledges.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"I was buried alive…but I survived…" Jamie mentions with a blank stare before a tormented frown starts to slowly spread across his face. "What's there to talk about?"

"You wanna leave this place?" Danny asks without giving another comment to Jamie's question. As much as Danny knows Jamie does need to talk to someone about what happened, brow beating him into doing it would be as effective as someone dragging him their by force; he'd mere toss them sarcastic comments and be done with it. But being in the military did force him to see that no person was able to stand alone with their thoughts after something nearly life ending, facing a morbid fear, and not being affected by it in some way. Talking in confidence would help Jamie at least deal with the impending onslaught of nightmares.

"Yeah."

Danny had told Linda not to tell the boys what Jamie had endured; the same was for Erin with Nikki. The youngest of the Reagan clan should be spared the knowledge of something like that happening to one of their own – and it would save Jamie the heartache of having to answers questions that could potentially do more harm than good.

He watches Jamie slowly dressing, heaving an inward sigh as his fingers slightly fumble with the tubing on his arm and silently stepping in and gently pushing his brother's hands clear to untangle the clear plastic and free him of his hospital appendage.

Jamie looks at Danny with a placid expression, his mind digesting his words from earlier. He starts a campaign in his own mind to try to justify his reasons for not going to see a professional but knowing that a stranger in confidence might not judge him like he feels his family might actually starts to plant a comforting seed in his mind. It was something he'd ponder further, if necessary.

"Alright…ready?"

"I still feel a bit cold," Jamie utters with an exasperated sigh.

"Nerves kid…nothin' but nerves. So we'll go home…grampa will fill you with soup and cookies to fatten you up again…" Danny smirks as they head for the door, his suit jacket slung over his shoulder to spare another hospital induced hot flash. "And then you'll just rest…"

"And tomorrow we'll go and arrest Garth? Danny I wanna be there…"

"Hey I gave you my word right? But you wanna also stand before him on a solid footing. So that means no matter what kinda soup grampa makes…"

"I'm not eating his carrot soup," Jamie replies as his face lightly screws.

"Okay so yeah even Erin wouldn't eat that one and she pretty much eats all his food out of sympathy," Danny snickers as they head for the nursing station so Jamie could sign out and head home "Its' almost as bad as carrot cake."

"See I like carrot cake."

"You like the icing," Danny ribs his brother, his face relaxing when Jamie's lips offer a soft chuckle. His mental plan was to keep the banter light and friendly, hoping that it would leave less time for Jamie's mind to head back into the darkness that was lurking; waiting to pull him back into mental despair and relive over and over his near death experience. They talk a bit more about food; the other uneasy subject for Jamie – that of telling his already paranoid fiancé about what he survived, not coming up either. That was another ticking time bomb waiting to go off.

"Jamie!" Henry exclaims as he hurries up to his beloved grandson upon him and Danny entering the house and takes him in his arms and gives him a hearty hug. "I made soup."

"Carrot?" Jamie asks weakly as he and Danny laugh.

"No but if that's what…." Henry starts only to have Jamie quickly shake his head.

"No thanks."

"Danny you going to join us?" Henry asks with a frown as Danny merely smirks at his brother's cheeky reply.

"I can't…gotta get back and take care of a few things. I'll see you both later."

"Okay."

Jamie watches Danny go and then turns back to Henry with a small frown.

"I'm not gonna ply you with a million questions but I am more than relieved that you are here…in one piece and okay. But if you wanna talk…about any of it…I'm all ears okay?" Henry assures Jamie as he wraps a protective arm around his shoulders and leads him into the kitchen.

"I guess what I can't get past is him wanting to go that far over some grades…he would have killed me if not for Danny's quick timing and those kids there. I um…I woulda died…all for grades," Jamie muses with an angry tone. "Can anyone answer that?"

"Sure…the bastard who did it. But see with a guy like that, asking him the question won't make much of a difference."

"You don't think he'd tell me the real truth?" Jamie inquires.

"Have you asked him before?"

"Well I asked him why he was targeting me for grades but this time…I mean it would have been murder."

"I'm sure you've heard this before but I doubt he could tell you anything about his twisted motives that would satisfy you. Jamie in all my years of policing I have seen a lot of terrible things, but sadly each time a survivor or victim's family gets the chance to ask the one question that haunts them 'why' they come away feeling empty. Nothing will ever satisfy because then you'll try to spend your time justifying his stupid actions – which you can't. What drives a person like that? Literally God only knows because we can't and you know what…maybe its better not knowing."

"Why?"

"Well better to think he wanted you dead over something stupid like grades than his real dark motives for wanting you dead over something stupid like grades."

"But…" Jamie frowns as Henry slightly smirks.

"Come on kid…help me with this and we'll talk later."

Jamie heads for the counter to help with lunch, actually feeling his stomach and nerves settle a little bit more as the lunch hour progresses, Henry also following Danny's lead and keeping the conversation light and friendly until Jamie felt like talking and then giving him whatever support and advice he could. After lunch he wanders to the bathroom, taking a refreshing shower and then slumping down into bed; his entire frame collapsing from sheer physical fatigue. He manages to get a few solid hours before his mind once again conjures up the horrific images of himself in the shallow grave, unable to move, see or call out for help…the dirt closing in around…all around…on top of him…covering him until he stops moving and…

"Noooo…." Jamie gasps as he bolts upright, his t-shirt clinging to his sweat soaked back. He nervously looks around to see himself lying on a soft bed instead of the hard ground, his hand instantly going to his forehead and feeling the damp warmth. His senses finally come back into full focus, allowing him to pick up the aroma of dinner and soft laughter coming from the other room. He slowly pushes himself out of the warm bed and heads for the kitchen; Frank turning around to greet his youngest when Jamie enters.

"Did we wake you?" Frank asks in concern as Jamie approaches.

"No…I was only resting," Jamie replies as he gratefully accepts a warm hug from his father. "How'd it go with um…Garth's father?"

"I caught him in his lie…which is what I wanted so that that way when I go and arrest him tomorrow for aiding and abetting he won't be able to back pedal out."

"Lying to the face of the commissioner," Henry huffs. "Ballsy."

"Pop…not helping," Frank lightly groans, making Jamie smile. "In any event I heard Danny took care of the accomplice."

"And the DNA results come back?"

"Perfect match to Garth Robinson. So that coupled with the video evidence will ensure Garth goes away for a good number of years."

"Let's see his old man try to back pedal outta that one," Henry states firmly. "Never liked that guy…or his kid."

"Well as of tomorrow there will be a new man at the help of the Academy."

"Any hints as to who?"

"I've asked James Danton. He's honest and fair."

"Now that's a guy I like. You know who else I like…" Henry starts, making Jamie and Frank exchange amused expressions. Jamie helps with dinner but then gently picks at the food on his plate, his mind already anticipating the night ahead and the state of agitation the nightmares threaten to keep it in. He had looked up a few times to see his father's watchful eye upon him; thankful that no soul searching questions were asked during the dinner hour. That was to come.

"And you're gonna be okay tomorrow with the arrest and all?" Frank asks as he and Jamie share a quiet moment in the living room after dinner.

"I hafta you know? I hafta do this for me. I just want him to see my face and send him away knowing he didn't beat me. Is that okay?"

"You don't have to ask me that, if it'll help with the closure then so be it. But…"

"But what?" Jamie implores in haste.

"But I really do wish you would have told me all this from the start. A trusted confidant keeps one sane. I tell your father…Danny tells me and…"

"I know I know," Jamie groans as he hangs his head in his hands and sighs heavily before looking up in remorse. "I just remember how the family wasn't that much in favor of me going to the academy in the first place and so…"

"You thought we'd say I told you so?" Frank interjects.

"Stupid right?" Jamie suggests.

"Misguided," Frank corrects. "That's what family is all about Jamie, we might argue and such but in the end we have each other's backs."

"Danny woulda at the start."

"Your brother has your back no matter what. Have you told Sydney yet?"

"Still debating on whether I should or not," Jamie groans as he leans back in his chair. "I know for sure she'll hand me the I told you so line."

"It could have easily have happened in any profession."

"And I'm sure I could tell her that but…I don't know. Part of me doesn't want to rock the boat anymore than I already have."

"But open and honest communication, no matter how sticky, is vital to making a good marriage work," Frank reminds him in truth.

"I know."

They talk a bit longer before Frank watches Jamie struggling to keep his eyes open and knows with the big day ahead tomorrow he needs his rest, so kindly suggesting they call it a night, he gives Jamie one last bedtime hug and the two of them head toward their bedrooms.

But as suspected as soon as Jamie had flipped off the lights, not able to find his old nightlight, he'd hear mocking laughter and the sound of dirt starting to fill the narrow chasm around him. His body starts to slightly thrash about in the small bed and its not long before he is frantically grasping for the light and pulling it on. He closes his eyes and commands his brain to try to get his wheezing under control before he flops back down, leaving the light on. Jamie rolls onto his side, hoping that with the light on he'd be able to get some rest, not wanting to face Garth the following day looking like a wilted flower that could collapse at any moment.

However, another hour of fitful tossing and turning, renders Jamie frustrated and awake, his weary eyes glancing over at the clock and cursing at the small neon green lights.

_'I win Reagan. I WIN!' _Garth's sickening tone is heard over and over in his mind, so much so that Jamie pushes himself from bed and finds himself in the hallway and doing something he hadn't since a small boy – heading for his father's room. He gently pushes the door open and heads inside, quietly padding around to the empty side and sliding under the covers, just wanting the nearness of his guarding and protector next to him. That and the small slit of light coming in

"Sorry…I couldn't sleep in that room…alone," Jamie confesses into the dimly lit room.

"Never be sorry Jamie," Frank assures him as his hand grasps his and gives it a warm reassuring squeeze. "This is what a father's job is; to help his children no questions asked. Come and get some sleep."

Jamie's mind settles in that comforting statement as he closes his eyes once more and begs for some restful sleep. But an hour later he's once again torn from his light slumber but another horrific nightmare of being buried alive. Frank tenderly reassures his son and as Jamie tries to fall back asleep, curled up next to his father's frame, Frank starts to whisper a soft lullaby, the same one that used to put him to sleep as a small boy.

Frank looks down at Jamie's peaceful expression and can only frown at the pain that one person's ugly jealousy put his beloved son through, and for in reality no real reason. He tenderly strokes his cheek, frowning at the bruise and feeling his own anger starting to surge as he recalls the details Danny told him about when he first found Jamie. He hears Jamie muttering something about soup and smiles, the few whispered words working to ease his anguished mind and push back the angry tsunami that had been gaining momentum. Frank finally turns off the light and settles back down, his arm wrapping around his youngest child and holding him close, not wanting to ever think about losing him again but wanting to offer all the comfort he can in his time of need.

XXXXXXXX

The next morning Jamie slowly opens his eyes to find himself alone in his father's bed but feeling more rested than he did when he first snuck into his father's room. His mind had flashed back to when he was a child and scared by something, finding comfort and solace in his father's strong arms; last night was no different. Instead of feeling embarrassed or ashamed he sits up feeling refreshed and slightly more energized, determined to walk into the academy beside Danny and take back his future.

"I can do this," Jamie mutters to himself as he stretches and then looks at the clock and frowns, suddenly feeling his nervous anxiety starting to creep over him. But wanting to be rid of Garth Robinson once and for all Jamie takes a deep breath and heads out of his father's bedroom and heads for his own bedroom, dressing in jeans and a dress shirt and then heading for the kitchen. It was close to the weekend so he had decided after it was all over he'd need the day just to recover and then start fresh on Monday – at least that was the plan.

"Morning."

"Morning," Frank greets his youngest with a warm smile. "Sleep better?"

"I did," Jamie nods as he gratefully takes the cup of coffee and then turns to watch his grandfather enter.

"So much for me being the early bird."

"Big day ahead," Frank acknowledges for them all. "Danny and Demarcus will meet us there. Danny already has the warrant and is waiting on us."

"Then we should go," Jamie states eagerly.

"Nonsense you can't face the devil on an empty stomach," Henry smirks. "Sit down and enjoy some home made oatmeal and then you can go charging in where angels fear to tread."

"Poetic pop."

"You like that? I saw it on this show last night…it was about this guy…" Henry starts into one of his stories as Frank and Jamie help with the toast and fruit and then settle in for a rather hearty breakfast, Jamie once again thankful for his family's distraction that was helping to keep the little agitated stomach butterflies at bay. But as soon as breakfast is over and he and his father are heading for the police academy, the determined little butterflies return, tying his stomach in angry knots.

Jamie gets out of the car and heads toward Danny who flashes the warrant, Demarcus waiting by the entrance.

"Ready?" Danny inquires.

"Ready," Jamie nods and the four of them turn and head for the entrance where Instructor Danton was already waiting. Jamie takes another deep breath as he enters the all too familiar corridor – his mind racing as two destinies were about to collide, with only emerging as victorious.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Okay so I know I promised you the arrest but I just had to get a bit more of Jamie's aftermath in this chapter and hope that's okay. up next the arrest (b/c this chapter was already long and I didn't want to break up any of the arrest hehe) and then the return of Sydney (duh duh duhhhhhhhhh lol) and then down the homestretch. So please do review before you go and thanks so much!


	21. Taking back the Future

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 21 – Taking back the Future**

* * *

><p>From the moment Jamie steps into the grand entrance of the Police Academy, his mind starts to race and his stomach tighten, his slight wavering not lost on his brother.<p>

"Hey…" Danny whispers, making Frank look over in haste. "You okay?"

"Stomach…yeah I'm fine."

"I know and facing him isn't going to make it better right away," Danny frowns, not wanting Jamie to back down now or knows he'll regret it and that would be worse to live with. "But you can do this okay?"

"I hafta…I hafta do this Danny. I want that smug bastard to know he didn't beat me."

"Okay," Danny nods as he looks at the time. He had purposely waited for class to start before entering to make the arrest; wanting to add as much public humiliation to arrogant bully's takedown as he could; as an all-out beating behind the gymnasium was out of the question. As much as he wants to go one on one with Garth alone, he knows that if his actions screw up Garth's arrest, and Garth walks on a technicality or worse is able to sue for police brutality due to his actions, then all Jamie's hard work and suffering would be moot; his actions would have to be tempered. But it was going to be a real test of self-control for all male Reagan's.

Danny nears the door to the gymnasium, Jamie, Frank and Instructor Dean Atchison; Instructor James Danton already heading into class to start it as if nothing was out of the ordinary and the class itself was about to be disrupted in a major way. A few minutes later, Danny nods to his brother to wait for his cue and then barges into the full classroom with Demarcus right behind him.

"Sorry to interrupt but I am looking for Garth Robinson," Danny's commanding voice interrupts Danton's brief pre-weapons training lecture, forcing an instant hush over the crowd and drawing all eyes to him.

"Detective Reagan," Danton greets him with a firm expression. "Can I ask what's going on?"

"Sure, I'm here to arrest Garth Robinson," Danny replies in haste, a few of Garth's classmates uttering very audible gasps at the out of the blue accusation. "Where is he?"

"On what charge?" Garth pipes up angrily. He had figured something was up when he tried to call Aaron and was unable to get through, on his cell or his home phone; his parents of course down at the precinct trying to deal with their son's recent incarceration and what the next steps for him would be, as he was very cooperative but still wasn't going to get off scot free.

"Oh I got a whole slew here," Danny looks at Garth with a narrowed gaze.

"Yeah like what?" Garth challenges.

"You really wanna play this game in here? In front of all of them? Okay," Danny agrees in haste as he looks at Demarcus who hands him the official police warrant, Danny noticing Garth's smug expression was slowly dissipating. "Alright we have the minor stuff like uttering death threats, physical harassment, minor physical assault, being a general pain in the ass," Danny pauses, garnering a few snickers and allowing Garth's teeth to grit.

"This is police harassment."

"Actually, this is the police putting an end to your days of arrogant stupidity and bullying that is harssment," Danny corrects him. "Then we have the major stuff like kidnapping, major physical assault, attempted murder and…"

"What? Okay you are so outta line here," Garth sputters. "Who did I kidnap and attempt to murder? You can't prove any of this."

"Yeah I can. Besides the fact that we have your accomplice Aaron in jail on charges of accessory to kidnapping and he gladly turned you over to save his own sorry ass…we have your accomplice Bill in jail on charges of accessory to kidnapping and murder who also turned on you to save his even bigger worthless ass and if that isn't enough we have the eye witness testimony of…"

"Me," Jamie pipes up as he walks into the room and up to Garth, noticing with much satisfaction Garth's fists curling and his lips uttering a small curse.

"Well you look pretty okay to me. Or is this just a conspiracy to make me look bad in front of my peers because he can't take a little teasing."

"Bullying isn't something to laugh about Mr. Robinson," Instructor Danton's voice pipes up, making Garth seethe but keep his gaze fixed on Jamie in heated anger.

"Yeah well we have proof that…"

"What? His word against mine?" Garth sneers.

"Actually there were others and they got it all on tape," Jamie replies with a satisfied smile. "So you wanting to kidnap and kill me over some grades really shows just how pathetic you really are," Jamie states audibly, his friends looking at him in shock.

"This is all a lie…you're all lying."

"Yeah sucks to be you kid. Now turn around…"

"Make me," Garth taunts Danny as he folds his arms across his chest.

"Well I'm not gonna do that," Danny replies matter of factly.

"Hah."

"But new recruit Reagan here will do the honors for me. Jamie," Danny nods as Jamie steps up with Danny's handcuffs in his fingers.

"He touches me and…"

"And what? We have a legal warrant and are well within our rights. Besides, you're under arrest moron, or didn't you get to that part of the book yet?" Danny goads, getting a few snickers from the intent class. "Jamie…go ahead. Use whatever force you need if he resists this legal arrest," Danny states firmly as he locks eyes with Garth and holds his gaze until Garth narrows his gaze and then looks at Jamie.

"And if you resist, resisting arrest will also be tagged onto that warrant," Jamie smirks as he dangles the handcuffs before Garth. "I guess today it sucks to be you," Jamie adds as Danny smirks.

"Garth Robinson, you are under arrest for…" Danny's voice trails off as he reads out the official arrest as Jamie grabs Garth by the arm and whirls him around, his friends closely watching as Jamie, who was still sporting the visual aftereffects of Garth's vile hatred, grabs his arm and wraps one of the cuffs around his wrist and then the other.

"You are so dead for all this golden boy," Garth hisses under his breath so that mostly only Jamie could hear; Danny picking up the word _dead _and looking at Garth with a you try to cross me again and I'll kill you outright.

"You can ponder your stupid actions in jail," Jamie slaps Garth on the back, making Garth turn around and glare at him in anger. For a few seconds of their eyes being locked, Jamie feels his stomach churning further, Garth's dark eyes continuing to bore into his tender soul. He hears Garth's mocking laughter followed by the sound of his own heartbeat racing as another clumpful of dirt is tossed onto his head.

"This isn't over Reagan," Garth whispers as he is pushed past Jamie.

"Yeah it is…you lose," Jamie replies confidently seconds before Danny takes Garth by the arm, Jamie and Demarcus coming behind.

"Well now that the minor stuff has been dealt with," Instructor Danton starts up class again, the doors closing out the laughter that makes Garth seethe and course once more.

"Okay this stupid charade is over," Garth pulls away from Danny and glares at him in anger. "I want to see that evidence."

"Oh you will dumbass, at the hearing if it makes it that far. But trust me the source is sound and legit and with your two friends turning on you, getting a firm conviction won't be that hard. Judge issued the warrant in seconds."

"I want my lawyer."

"Yeah…you'll need one," Danny remarks as he looks over at Frank. "You wanna go upstairs now?"

"All set," Frank nods as Garth looks at Frank with a heavy frown.

"Upstairs? What the hell's…"

"Your father," Frank merely replies as they all head toward the elevator, Instructor Atchison, waiting to take over interim until his friend and fellow Instructor James Danton could be officially handed the title, allowing him to help promote another long time veteran to Danton's previous position as physical instructor as he wanted to stay with the legal stuff.

"He's not involved in this," Garth tries to protest.

But no one answers in return; the ride up to the third floor administrative offices spent in silence. Jamie looks over at Garth and feels his frame stiffen once more as Garth looks him and just holds his gaze in anger. Jamie's mind picks up low mocking laughter from Garth, but he forces himself to clear his throat, garnering a small flinch from Danny and breaking Garth's hold on him. _Please god just let me hold it together until this is over, _Jamie offers a small silent prayer as the elevator comes to a halt and the doors slowly hiss open.

"I'll handle this," Frank pulls away from the group with Atchison in tow.

"Morning Frank…two in a row, am starting to feel special here," Garth's father, Bruce Robinson greets Frank with a small smile that quickly fades as he gazes upon Frank's serious expression.

"This isn't a pleasure call Bruce," Frank quickly gets down to business. "I was here yesterday and asked you about your son's absence."

"Yes and I said he was ill…" Bruce pauses as he looks at Dean Atchison's wondering expression. "What's going on here?"

"Where was Garth yesterday?"

"Sick. Frank are you saying my son was lying to me?"

"Oh I don't think you're as innocent as you want me to believe," Frank replies in haste. "I will ask you again, where was your son yesterday?"

"The…doctor's."

"We contacted his family doctor and he wasn't there. May I please see the note that was put on his file for his absence? That is school policy right? And you of all should be enforcing those rules," Frank concludes as Bruce looks at him with a narrowed gaze.

"Okay fine…Garth was at home."

"And the reason?"

"He said he had something personal to attend to and I didn't press the issue. Is that a crime?"

"Actually…it is," Frank answers gravely. "Your son is in a lot of trouble for lying Bruce and he's implicated you and by you lying for him…"

"Hold on a second…his personal life is own business. His tenure here is mine."

"He's been brought up on charges of bullying before and nothing was done about it," Atchison pipes up.

"By who?"

"Jamison Reagan," Atchison replies.

"A valid charge not taken seriously," Frank adds. "But in talking to a few of the Instructor's here, I gather it's not the first time his bullying antics have been overlooked. That's serious Bruce. We don't tolerate anything like that in the NYPD and I certainly won't allow the men I put in charge to foster bullying of any kind."

"Okay fine, I'll make sure he's reprimanded. Is that all?"

"Actually no, that's not all…"

"Frank…"

"I'm not finished Bruce," Frank holds his hand up and offers a small frown. "And while you have tolerated it up to now, not only for Jamie but a few incidents with others over the past few years; I can assure you you won't have worry about it any more."

"You're firing me?"

"Actually I'm arresting you," Frank slowly pulls out a warrant.

"On what charges?"

"Lying to me for one thing," Frank quips.

"That's not a crime," Bruce sputters.

"No but accessory to conspiracy to murder is."

"What? Are you serious?"

"I'm very serious. Your son was arrested on the charges of assault, kidnapping and attempted murder. You knew about his absence and you did nothing."

"Murder? Frank you have gone too far!" Bruce hisses. "I know that Garth and Jamie have had their differences but if you mean to accuse my son without…"

"We have proof Sir," Demarcus steps into the room; Bruce looking up and then seeing Garth in cuffs between Danny and Jamie. "We have an actual video recording of your son burying alive Jamie Reagan."

"What...the hell? Garth! This is all a joke right?"

"Fraid not," Demarcus holds up the tape in the evidence bag. "A judge has already viewed the tape and deemed it admissible evidence. You are under arrest Sir."

"As of today your post of Academy Administrator is over - for good," Frank states gravely. "Take him away Demarcus."

"Yes Sir."

"I'll stay and figure the rest out with Dean. See you all later."

Instructor Dean Atchison, who would help out for the day remains behind with Frank for the duration of the morning, until it was time for Instructor James Danton to be take the reigns in the afternoon, an interim posting until it became official a few weeks later.

"Here take him downstairs," Demarcus hands off a cuffed Bruce Robinson to two Academy security with instructions to meet them by their police cruiser; another set of uniformed NYPD officers pulling up outside.

"Where are you going?" Demarcus follows Danny as he heads for the stairs, Jamie at his side.

"We need a walk, isn't that right dumb ass?" Danny slaps Garth on the back.

"Up yours," Garth shoots back at Danny as they enter the quiet stairwell.

Jamie looks over at Danny and but says nothing, his mind and stomach still about to boil over from the tension raging inside him. Just before they reach the bottom, Danny takes a hold of Garth's arm and pauses, making both Demarcus and Jamie look at him in wonder.

"I want a few minutes alone."

"Danny…"

"Not a request partner," Danny winks.

"Just…you know," Demarcus huffs as he looks at Jamie before gesturing with his head for the youngest Reagan to follow and grant Danny his final request.

"Yeah...I know."

"So you gonna give me a you pissed your future down the toilet pep talk?" Garth snickers.

"Yeah…not exactly," Danny snarls as his hand wraps around Garth's throat and he pushes him up against the cold cement wall. He holds onto Garth until the younger man starts to sputter and gasp for air under his hold.

"C-an't….br-eathe…" Garth tries.

"Yeah looks that way. Maybe I should find the nearest shallow grave and dump your worthless ass into it and then slowly pile the ground over you."

"Go…for it," Garth goads as Danny pulls back, Garth sputtering for air.

"I would," Danny pauses with a frown, "but I hate to get dirt under my nails."

"Pansy as…" is all Garth manages before Danny gives him a hard slap on the back, making him lose his footing and then tumble to the bottom of the stairs, only falling about four or five of the cement stairs, but enough to make him bust open his lip and bruise a few ribs.

"Oops…I guess my pansy ass reflexes slipped there," Danny growls as he marches down after him, roughly hauls him upright and then drags him outside, where a shocked Jamie and knowing Demarcus await.

"He pushed me…this is police brutality man!"

"He…fell," Danny shrugs firmly. "Let's go."

"I'm pressing charges."

"Sorry no witnesses. Now move your ass," Demarcus looks at Garth before turning and heading for the outside, muttering about Danny's actions as he nears the door. Danny looks over at Jamie and can tell that he's barely holding it together; hanging on by a very thin emotional thread. As much as he wants to take Jamie aside and give him a few moments, he knows his brother, much like himself, will want to see this through to the end – he had come so far with Garth, he owed him finishing this on his own terms. He couldn't bring to light Jamie's weaknesses just yet.

"Jamie and I will take Garth. You and the other officer take his father."

"This isn't fair."

"Ah think of it as some quality bonding time," Danny quips as he shoves Garth into the backseat.

"You two think this is over? It's not…it's far from over!" Garth shouts from the backseat.

"Yeah well see ya in ten to twenty," Danny tosses back as he pulls into traffic.

"You forged that tape didn't you golden boy?"

"Garth I asked you if it was worth it," Jamie counters.

"Yeah Mr. high and mighty."

"Well at least I won't have to be stuck wearing the same thing for the next decade. Hope you like orange," Jamie replies, making Danny look over at him and smirk.

"Yeah well at least I'll have a decade to plan your slow demise!"

Jamie's mind instantly flashes him images of himself being buried and not being rescued and suddnely feels another small panic attack starting to fester as he catches Garth cursing his name in an undertone and instantly his fingers curl around the door handle. He takes a sharp intake of air, just as Danny rounds the corner, making his brother look over in wonder.

"Courier," Jamie lies to hide his emotional faux pas in front of his nemesis. Despite the fact that Garth was going away, he wanted him to go away with the knowledge that he didn't beat him down; that he was able to bounce back from one of the most horrific experiences of his life and stand before the devil and smile that he was the victor. He didn't have to have a big contribution, cuffing Garth was satisfaction enough to prove to those around he was officially taking back his future.

"I hope you have fun sleeping at night golden boy."

"My fiancé seems to think we do," Jamie retorts, making Danny nod and smile and Garth seethe. "Garth as I said…"

"Shut it golden boy or…" Garth starts only to have Danny slam on the breaks, making him slam into the sheet of Plexiglas on his cheek.

"Courier," Danny winks at Jamie as Garth slumps back in his chair. "Silence is golden…maybe take that advice, okay dumb ass? Uttering more threats isn't helping your cause."

"None of this is gonna stick."

Danny doesn't answer as he nears the precinct, knowing that as soon as they were inside, he'd hand over the boring paperwork details to Demarcus or another officer and just take Jamie aside and let him get a few extra breaths. "Alright…let's go," Danny is all business as he pulls Garth from the backseat and leads him up the stairs into the precinct.

"You survived the ride over?" Demarcus wags his brows at Danny.

"You can do the honors," he smirks as he hands him over to his partner, "Jamie and I have some paperwork to finish."

"See ya around Garth," Jamie smirks as he follows after Danny, wondering what paperwork he'd be involved in. "Danny I need a bathr…" is all he manages before Danny gently steers him toward a private bathroom and gently shoves him inside.

Not needing much motivation, Jamie heads for the one lone stall, pulls the door open and then throws up into the toilet, his stomach wanting to expel everything after his tension filled excursion. He feels Danny's comforting hand on his back as he heaves once more, slightly coughing and then cursing his own weakness.

"So...sorry."

"Hey it's okay kid…it's okay," Danny's soft tone tries to soothe as Jamie slowly stands back up, the room starting to slightly spin and needing Danny's help to sit back down on the toilet seat lid. "Just rest a few more seconds."

"I just…didn't want him to see…me weak," Jamie lightly pants.

"You kicked ass today," Danny nods, making nod firmly. "Seriously I was proud."

"Really?"

"You kept your head cool under pressure and you faced the devil on your terms; hell ya I'm proud and I know dad is too. You'll make a fine cop."

"Thanks Danny," Jamie states with a swelling feeling of inner pride. "I'm just glad he didn't see me like this."

"Now you can just worry about you okay."

"Okay."

"Here come rinse your mouth…barf aftertaste is pretty gross," Danny utters with a small smirk as he helps Jamie up and leads him over to the sink, takes a paper cup from the dispenser and gives Jamie some cool water to rinse with. Jamie takes the water and rinses, happy to have the taste of bile gone and then gently downs a cool glass, delighting in the feel of the cool liquid soothing his aching stomach.

"You wanna go back to school?"

"Too many questions…think I'll just finish up the week at home and then start fresh on Monday," Jamie answers as he stands up and takes a deep breath. "Does that make me weak?"

"Forget what that jerk said okay? You are not weak," Danny gives his shoulder a firm squeeze. "Mom woulda been proud of you today also."

"Danny…"

"You stood up for truth and justice…trust me, she'd have been proud. Now come on…I don't like the smell in here," Danny quips, making Jamie's face break into a warm smile. "You'll rest today, we'll have family dinner on Sunday and then come Monday you march back in there like it's a new start."

"I am just hoping I'll sleep better tonight."

"Jamie…"

"Yeah I know, it'll take a few more days…maybe even weeks," Jamie sighs as they leave the room; not wanting to tell Danny that he had already booked an appointment to see the same confidential doctor his father had seen after their mother passed away and Frank had survived 9/11. Knowing it was a man that knew their family but also knew to keep each family member's secrets to himself was somewhat comforting.

"I'm gonna take a cab home Danny," Jamie mentions as Demarcus approaches and then hangs back when he sees the brother's aren't done yet.

"I don't mind."

"I want to…I think I just need to walk a bit and…and I'm gonna be okay. Thanks Danny."

"Course you're gonna be okay," Danny pulls his brother into his arms for a brief but warm hug and then let's go. "Okay I'll see you later."

Jamie says goodbye to his brother and then Demarcus and heads for the front door, walking past a still protesting Garth who was being booked and still hurling obscenities at the Reagan name. As soon as he's outside, Jamie takes a few deep breaths and allows the fresh air to actually help calm his nerves. Instead of taking a cab, Jamie heads for the subway and then the bus; wanting to just try to fit back into society again as soon as possible.

"Jamie that you?" Henry calls out as he hears the front door open about an hour later.

"Yeah it's me grampa," Jamie calls back as he hangs up his coat and then heads for the kitchen.

"My boy…so…how'd it go?"

"Danny pushed him down the stairs," Jamie smirks.

"Good for him," Henry smirks in return as he wraps his arm around Jamie's shoulder, feeling him still slightly shaking. "Nerves?"

"Yeah," Jamie huffs, earning a sympathetic look from his grandfather.

"Okay I'll make a pot of tea with lunch and you can tell me all about it. You glad you did it?"

"I had to do it," Jamie replies firmly as he downs a cool glass of water and slumps into a nearby chair. "But yeah I am."

"Atta boy."

"And then dad…"

"Wait, start at the beginning and don't leave out any of the gory details," Henry smiles as he pours them both a cup of soothing tea. Jamie starts at the beginning with him arriving at the academy and meeting Danny there with the warrant; to Garth's resistance, to his father's ignorance and then finally to Garth being booked. After his late lunch, Jamie excuses himself and heads for his bedroom, his body all but spent of emotional adrenaline and wanting to just collapse. He pulls the covers over and prays for some solid rest.

His rest as expected is once again mottled with tormented dreams of himself being buried alive, forcing him to wake up after he watches Garth put a bullet right between his eyes and walk away laughing. He sits up in his bed and then rests his head on his damp forehead before slumping back into the covers and then rolling onto his side. Another tormented hour later, he's once again pulled from another distorted nightmare, pushing his weary eyes open and looking at the clock; the afternoon was starting to drag.

But just before he can try to force himself back into another bout of darkened nightmares, he hears the doorbell ring and then hears his grandfather's footsteps hurrying to get it. He hears low voices talking before he hears footsteps heading his way and turns on the small bedside light.

"Jamie?" Henry knocks as he slowly pushes the door open.

"Hey…who's at the door?"

"Sydney."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Yay Garth's gone for good! (and yeah he is gone for good lol) and hope you all liked the takedown. Of course I wanted more Danny kicking his ass but hey I wasn't about to open up the whole police brutality can of worms lol and left it there – but had to get a bit big brother payback in there hehe so the S-factor returns. I think I might leave it canon up until graduation which is where the story ends b/c we know she was there and we haven't long to go now. Hope that's okay but please let me know in a review what you think about her (and this chapter in general) before you go and thanks so much!

**PS:** remember to check my season 3 forum on fanfiction that already has some season 3 tibits regarding Danny's actions in the field and Jamie's new partner.


	22. The S Factor

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 22 – The S Factor**

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><p>Jamie looks at his grandfather and feels an instant surge of anxiety.<p>

"Shall I tell her…"

"No, I better talk to her," Jamie replies with a small smile. "It's okay. I mean she musta heard…something right? Better now than later."

"Okay," Henry reluctantly agrees, but knowing in truth that it wasn't his call; it was his grandson's life and future – he was the one in charge of that and Henry had to step aside and let nature run its course as it were.

Thankful for the rest he just had that gave him a bit more strength, Jamie pulls on a sweatshirt and heads into the hallway, his heart rate elevating with every step he takes closer to his fiancé.

"Hey there," Sydney greets Jamie with a hug before pulling back to look at him in concern.

"What are you doing here?" Both of them ask at once and then offer the other small smiles.

"No work today?"

"Jake was able to cover my case."

"Course he was," Jamie half smirks. "But how did you know I was here?"

"I stopped by the academy at lunch and ran into some of your friends outside, I recognized them from before. I asked them where you were and one of them said you went home after an altercation with another student this morning. What happened?"

Jamie takes her by the hand and leads her into the living room, his mind racing to process the correct answer. Should he disclose all the details? His father and Danny had both told him that the secret to a long and happy, loving marriage was open, honest communication that would in turn foster mutual trust. But telling her he was kidnapped and buried alive would send her into shock – as it had him. Then it might earn him another bout of _'I told you that field was dangerous', _and after all he had been through he didn't want to face more professional anxiety. Nearly dying hadn't weakened his resolve to quit the NYPD, if anything it had strengthened it, wanting to keep guys like Garth off the streets for good.

They sit down on the couch, Jamie doing his best to bite back any pain his weary frame was offering for his sudden movements.

"Jamie you have a black eye and you look…well paler than normal if that's possible," Sydney mentions, getting a small smirk from Jamie in return.

"Really it's um…its no big deal."

"Your friend Tom seemed to think it was a big deal."

"What exactly did he say?"

"He said class started as normal, then Danny and you burst into the room with another cop…"

"Danny's partner."

"Whatever…and then some kid named Garth was called out and you helped arrest him?"

"Did he um…say the charges and all that?"

"No. He told me to get the rest of the details from you?"

"Okay yes I helped Danny arrest Garth Robinson this morning."

"On what charges?"

"Well assault for one thing," Jamie gestures to his eye. "Since day one he didn't like me because of my name. I brushed it off because I figured going in…"

"Your name would make you stand out?" Sydney interjects.

"Yeah. I mean whatever right? I can take a few name calling and stuff like that. Even in Harvard, when dad was on a press conference or something I'd get the commish's kid and all that. Garth it seems has been bullying others for…"

"Wait…I thought this whole police training was only one year?"

"He failed one time before," Jamie groans. "But I guess his father just let it slide and Garth figured he could keep doing whatever he wanted. He didn't like the fact that I was doing better than him…"

"Just you?"

"What?"

"Are you the only one doing better than him?"

"No, only in the legal stuff. But a few months before this intake started, he tried to pull a fake arrest and Danny caught him in the act and gave him a warning and I guess Garth was pissed that he was publicly humiliated and…"

"Wanted to get even? Over grades?" Sydney stammers, making Jamie lightly chuckle. "What?"

"Just that I had said the same thing to him. Guess he didn't see it our way."

"So he gave you a black eye?"

"He wouldn't back off when I wouldn't back down," Jamie slightly shrugs, his core enflamed to the max.

"And then Danny came and arrested him? For giving you a black eye and asking you to quit? Something isn't adding up here. What aren't you telling me?"

Jamie looks at her and knows he'll hafta fill in at least some of the holes. So taking a deep breath he proceeds.

"Okay he took things a bit further and he and another man will also be charged with kidnapping."

"Kidnapping? What?"

"It was a stupid scare tactic," Jamie tries to qualify in haste. "They took me out to some fishing shack and then threatened to toss me into the river if I didn't quit," Jamie opts to confess. The incident wasn't made up, it was the truth; that would also be included in the first kidnapping charge as they had found pictures to support that claim. So his tone and body language were at least natural and not forced; he just didn't think that sharing with her that he had been buried alive would be good.

"I of course didn't quit and he thought I wouldn't say anything…"

"And there was evidence to back all that up?"

"Yeah he was stupid enough to take pictures. He's also very arrogant. So I told Danny and Danny took action. At least now I won't have to worry about his stupid comments and actions for the rest of my time there."

"Right."

"What?" Jamie pounces on her uncertain tone in haste.

"You make it sound like it's not a big deal."

"I said he's gone right?"

"He almost tried to kill you…how is that not a big deal? Okay I know you don't want to hear…"

"This had nothing to do with me being in the line of fire on the beat…it was my last name and that coulda happened in Harvard."

"Right but it didn't. Look I didn't tell you that so you'd freak out…"

"You know I worry."

"I know but this…I mean what happens when I start on the beat?"

"I know…I know," she replies with a small sigh as she tries to give him a tender smile. "I only worry because I care."

"I know you do. But it's over now and I'm not quitting. I really can't now or he wins."

"I would never want you to quit…I just…worry."

Jamie gives her a small hug before they both settle back into the couch with their hands clasped. "And you're still okay with me becoming a cop right?" Jamie feels Sydney tense next to him and frowns, it wasn't the initial reaction he was hoping for and more and more he was becoming convinced that not telling her about what Garth actually did was the right thing.

"Sure," she answers almost meekly, Jamie's mind uttering an inward groan. Was her enthusiasm for his chosen profession always going to be forced? Would it ever be genuine? "You know it'll take me a bit to get to where Linda is right? I mean it's great she's so…so comfortable with Danny's high risk job but…"

"Not everything is life and death Sydney…most days its pretty routine. I mean we're out there making a difference and all but it's not like I'm going to be dodging bullets all the time. 'sides I will get my own bullet proof vest," Jamie ends with a small smirk.

"Jamie that's not funny," she lightly scolds.

"Well it's true. I'm not gonna sit here and dwell on all the bad stuff…it's not like lawyer's can't ever be shot at."

"I suppose."

"Okay so since I don't have to work tomorrow, why don't we go out for dinner…just the two of us? I've missed with that with work and school and all," Jamie mentions, purposely leaving out his last weekend's ordeal with Garth.

"Yeah okay…where? Someplace nice."

In truth Jamie hadn't been working much the past two weeks and although he had saved up some, he wanted to spend it on his own test weapon; unless he could get Danny to find him one that wasn't being used at the precinct then maybe he could afford to take her someplace amazing. Would money always be an issue? _Think Jamie think…_

"I heard of a new sushi place that just opened up on Wall Street. Matt said him and his girlfriend went there and liked it."

"Sushi?"

"Well we both like it. Wanna try it?"

"Okay…sure."

"Great," Jamie replies with a semi-enthusiastic smile. Can she tell I'm holding something back? Or is it just anxiety from what I told her? His mind starts to wonder. They talk a bit more about the new case she was working on before he walks her to the door and it's time to say goodbye, Jamie telling Sydney he'd pick up her at five the following night.

"See you tomorrow," Sydney whispers as she kisses Jamie on the lips and then turns and heads for the cab she had called about ten minutes earlier. Jamie closes the door and then turns to see his grandfather silently watching him.

"How'd it go?" Henry wonders.

"I couldn't tell her all that Garth did…I just couldn't," Jamie groans as he slumps down into the couch and then looks up at Henry looking down at him. "How'd Danny luck out?"

"He'd say his charm."

"Charm?" Jamie counters, making Henry smirk. "I wanted to tell her but she's already so worried about me being a cop…telling her I was buried alive…" Jamie's voice trails off as he leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees and buries his head in his hands. "I hate the tension."

"I know you do," Henry's warm hand tenderly strokes Jamie's back. "As soon as you graduate you'll know."

"But we wanna get married right after graduation."

"Give it a few months for her to get used to the job and all. She'll either take it right from the get go or she won't."

"And then she leaves?"

"I don't know kid…I'm sorry," Henry replies with a heavy sigh. "I don't know."

Jamie talks to Henry a bit longer, before he excuses himself, wanting to go out for a run and just get some fresh air and clear his head. Sydney hadn't backed off or pulled out so maybe there was still hope; if only she's get past her skittish jitters, then at least he could shake the feeling of always having to walk on eggshells around her when it comes to talking about his would be profession.

Half way into his run, Jamie does a double take as he gazes upon a man that looks just like Garth, coming to a dead stop in his tracks and blinking several times as the man nears, nods and then continues on his way. Giving himself a mental urge to move on, Jamie starts back into his run, arriving back at home, sweat clad, exhausted but his frame free of the nervous adrenaline his visit with his fiancé had accumulated.

Jamie calls out to his grandfather before he heads for his room to change, not realizing that they had company. Jamie pulls off his sweatshirt and then damp t-shirt, turning around and uttering a small gasp as Danny suddenly appears.

"Danny…" Jamie gasps.

"Sorry…thought you saw me," Danny replies, his smile fading into a frown as he looks at the purple marks on his brother's smooth pale chest.

"I feel okay," Jamie assures him as he reaches for a warm sweater to put on.

"Grampa said Sydney stopped by."

"Yeah…wanted to know how I was."

"You tell her everything that happened?"

"Not everything," Jamie confesses in truth. "She freaked when I told her about Garth taking me down to the waterfront and threatening me…figured she'd up and leave if I told her about what else he did."

"And?"

"And what Danny?"

"Nothin'."

"Just say it," Jamie groans.

"You shouldn't be afraid to tell everything."

"You tell Linda everything?" Jamie shoots back.

"Sometimes I delay and then it eats away at me until I do. She gets upset at first that I didn't trust her enough to tell her but I do and we talk about it…and then we move past it."

"Sydney wouldn't just talk about it…she'd badger me into leavening the NYPD and I haven't even started yet. I hate this feeling."

"Do you love her?" Danny asks pointedly.

"I do…I just…"

"Don't over think it," Danny insists as he leans against the wall of Jamie's room.

"I really want this to work. When I asked her to marry me I was serious about spending the rest of my life with her Danny."

"And I know that…it's just…you gotta be open with her."

"Am hoping by the time we are married and living together that the nightmares will have well disappeared by then."

"I hope that too otherwise that'll have been a hell of a long time to keep it from her."

"I felt so uneasy telling her what I told her."

Danny purses his lips at his youngest sibling and frowns; his mind wishing he could just march up to Sydney and shake some sense into her. But she wasn't Linda and no matter what they couldn't compare her to her soon to be sister in law, it wasn't fair to any of them. Still he wished that Jamie had someone he could openly confide _everything_ in; it would help with the healing process.

"How'd you end it?"

"With a date tomorrow night…no Jake," Jamie smirks.

"She still talkin' about that jerk?"

"Always a money thing Danny, but you know how she was raised."

"Just don't compromise how you were raised," Danny reminds him with a small smile.

"Would you let me?"

"Nope. So how did you sleep last night?"

"Went for a run today and saw a guy that looked like Garth and…"

"Attacked him?"

"No," Jamie slightly smirks. "But it did set my mind and heart racing. I worked through it but um…"

"And did you make that appointment with dad's guy?"

"Yeah for after classes next week," Jamie nods firmly. "I didn't really want to go at first but I think it'll help to just…I don't know talk about stuff I couldn't with Sydney…or you or dad."

"You know you can always talk to me."

"I know but…but it's different. Plus maybe it'll help me sleep better. Sydney…sleep…stress…" Jamie's voice rattles off.

"You need more words that start with different letters in your life," Danny teases as he playfully ruffles Jamie's hair. "Seriously though…you okay?"

"What happened with Garth this afternoon?"

"Both him and his father were booked. His father will more than likely pay a fine, lose his job and do some minimal jail time. Garth…damn he's in a lot of hot water, especially with the video evidence. But I'll worry about that. This clown finally has what's coming to him."

"And for that I am grateful."

"Why do I hear a butt in there?"

"Because you know me."

"Okay butt-head what is it?" Danny snickers, making Jamie roll his eyes.

"I um…Danny I need a favor."

"Anything."

"Those two boys…I never really got to thank them…they saved my life Danny. I'd like to go back to…"

"No way…not to that site…"

"No…" Jamie shakes his head. "I meant back to where they live, to thank them…in person. Danny I owe them at least that much – a personal thank you."

Danny looks at the earnest expression on his brother's face and hears the pleading in his tone, how could he refuse?

"We'll go tomorrow after breakfast. Does that work?"

"Yeah it does. Thanks," Jamie replies with a smile. Despite the fact that it would be edging near his would be final resting place, Jamie knows inside he has to thank the boys who were ultimately responsible for saving his very life. The inner turmoil wasn't over yet.

"Come on…lets go shoot some hoops…wear off whatever's left of that tension," Danny comments as they both leave the room and all goes silent.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Okay I know most of us don't like Sydney b/c she wimped out and walked out on our boy but sadly she is canon and I wasn't going to change too much and b/c she was there at graduation I had to smooth things out a bit but figured Jamie wouldn't be completely forthcoming. So a brotherly visit is up next. But I hope you all still liked this somewhat lighter chapter (after all the tense action hehe) and please do review before you go – a bit more to come before graduation! :D


	23. Brother to Brother

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 23 – Brother to Brother**

**A/N: **Hmm okay so last chappy was lowest reviewed yet. Sorry for those I bored and who left! Only 2 more to go here so hope you all like this and thanks so much in advance!

* * *

><p>Despite having talked through a bit more of his ordeal with his father, grandfather, brother and lastly fiancé, Jamie's mind was active that night, even more so than the night before. His weary eyes slowly open in the dimly lit room, his mind flashing images of the boys voices yelling at Danny where he was, asking Danny if he was okay and then finally watching in curious silence as he was bundled into the ambulance. <em>Am I afraid to go see them, <em>he ponders in silence? _But why? They saved my life…_Jamie's lips utter a low growl as rolls onto his side and stares miserably at the clock.

He hadn't personally thanked the boys for having the courage to do the right thing; although his brother and father both had, each of them telling the boys that Jamie was recovering and would contact them when he could. Both of them more than eager to meet the man they had helped save.

_What am I afraid of? _He continues his silent reasoning. But the longer he dwells on the question, he finally comes up with his own answer – answering their questions about why and what did it feel like.

"Felt like…hell," Jamie whispers as he squeezes his eyes shut, his heart rate starting to rise. He tries to force the image away of himself back in the cold shallow grave, looking down upon his bound and helpless frame as Garth tosses spoonful after spoonful of the harsh earth; his end seeming imminent.

Jamie quickly flips on the light and tosses back the covers, before entering the quiet hallway and heading for the kitchen for a cold glass of water. He slowly sips the cool liquid, his eyes lingering on the pictures on the fridge and in seconds his mind starts to settle; family pictures, pictures of his niece and nephews; pictures of him and Danny. A small smile starts to form on his lips and as soon as he downs the entire glass of water, he was ready to head back to bed with some happy memories to keep him company until the morning.

Jamie opens his eyes the following morning after having slept in a bit later than normal; pushing himself out of the warm nest of covers and allowing the smell of freshly brewed coffee to guide him back to the kitchen.

"Ah there he is," Henry greets his youngest grandson with a warm smile.

"Morning," Jamie gives the older man a small nod, not noticing who else was in the kitchen and making a bee-line right for the coffee maker; hoping the first cup will give his senses an awakening jolt.

"Sleep better?"

"No. worse actually."

"After today's activity you'll sleep better," Danny pipes up, making Jamie slightly jump and look at Danny with a small frown, Danny giving his brother a shrug in return. "What?"

"Didn't see you. How come you're here so early?"

"We have an early day. 'sides I told the boys I'd take them to the bug show exhibit later this afternoon at the school."

"Linda gonna let you get a pet?"

"I already have two named Sean and Jack," Danny quips, making Henry look at him with arched brows. "They can hardly keep their rooms cleaned so a pet…especially a bug that can get lost quite easily wouldn't go over well. 'sides I can see the poor thing ending up in the bathroom and Linda "accidentally,"" Danny pauses to gesture, "flushing it and saying oops sorry I don't tolerate insects in the house," he finishes with a small groan as both Jamie and Henry laugh.

"So that's a no then?" Henry states rhetorically.

"Big no. You have breakfast yet?"

"Nope, just got up."

"Sleepyhead," Danny teases as he helps lay out a few cereal bowls and gets the milk from the fridge.

"Morning," Frank greets them as he joins them in the kitchen. As he had neared the kitchen, Frank couldn't help but smile upon hearing both his boys laughing and their banter friendly and upbeat; it was so welcomed after the strained discussions and near arguments from the few days prior. But with all Jamie had gone through, he couldn't fault his youngest for being testy and anxiety-ridden; facing death would do that to even the most hardened soldier. Even still, he wasn't going to be the one to keep bringing it up; Jamie was going to talk to Dr. Spencer next week and was trying to move on, to keep bringing it up would to keep reopening the wound, it was time for all of them to move past.

"So what's on the agenda for today?"

"Danny's going to buy some bugs," Henry lightly snickers.

"I am not," Danny groans and rolls his eyes, earning a small smirk from his brother.

"Bugs? For fishing bait?" Frank perpetuates the manly chuckles and soon the breakfast table was full of the four male Reagan's, laughing, talking and just enjoying each other's company until it was time for Jamie and Danny to head out, Jamie coming home early for his date and Danny taking his boys out.

"You're quiet," Danny comments as they head for the highway to take them a bit out of the city limits.

"You called them right?"

"I did and they're totally excited you're coming."

"Right."

Danny looks over at Jamie, noticing his fists tighten in his lap and slowly steers the car over to the edge, Jamie glancing up in wonder. "Okay…what gives?"

"What? Danny…"

"Come on kid don't lie…your fists are tightly curled and you look panic-stricken. If you don't wanna go just tell me."

"I'm just nervous about what they'll ask," Jamie finally confesses. "I know they'll ask questions…what was it like…why'd he do it…what was it like," Jamie repeats again as his voice dies out. "But why should they hear how horrible it was? It's hard for me to talk about you know? I guess I could downplay for their sake."

"Just be honest and up front. You don't wanna talk about it…you don't wanna talk about it," Danny states firmly. "They're kids…course they're gonna ask. They saw you being buried alive…they'll wanna know what that was like. You lying and saying it was nothing…they'll see through that."

"I know…." Jamie huffs as he shakes his head.

"It's like facing any jury in court…you gotta do it right? 'sides these guys did risk their necks for you. A personal thank you would be really cool to them from you."

"I know," Jamie merely echoes as Danny purses his lips but says nothing further. "I'll be okay."

"We'll stay as long as you want but I think you gotta do this."

Jamie doesn't say anything further merely nods and then turns his gaze out the window for the duration of the trip. But as they near the long gravel driveway to the isolated home by the lake, Jamie's stomach instantly tightens and his breathing starts to shallow. _I can do this, _Jamie tries to convince himself as they round the last bend and the large house comes into view.

"Okay…you ready?"

"Yup."

Danny hears the hints of anxiety in Jamie's voice and knows he's more than a little nervous but also knows that since it was Jamie's idea that if his brother doesn't go, he'd have one more needless regret to live with and that was something he wasn't about to let happen; not if he could help it.

Danny stops the car in front of the house, the two boys already waiting on the front porch for the police cruiser to arrive. Jamie looks at their expectant faces as they get out of the car and instantly feels his stomach grip; even back in the same area was enough to start forcing his mind to relive things he is desperately trying to forget.

"Hey guys!" Danny calls out as Scott heads toward them, Ian hanging back a bit as the two Reagan brothers approach.

"Hey," Scott greets them with a smile as Ian finally joins them; Jamie giving them both a firm handshake.

"Is your mom here too?"

"Yeah she's inside. You can come in if you want or we can talk out here," Scott informs them, making Danny pull back with a small, impressed expression. "She saw you pull up."

"Dad's at work but mom made cookies," Ian informs them with a wide grin. "Want some?"

"Sure but…in a bit okay," Danny states as he looks over at Jamie.

"So I um…I just wanted to come and…thank you for what you did," Jamie mentions.

"Scott did it," Ian pipes up, making Danny and Jamie smirk.

"Your bravery and courage saved my life," Jamie replies honestly.

"Are we allowed to ask why he did it?" Scott asks.

"He was a jealous bully."

"We have bully's at our school. Well we're on home schooling right now because of my dad's job. But yeah we have a few kids that like to pick on others for no real reason. One guy John because I think he has two dads and one girl Sari because she's brown," Scott frowns. "My dad says those kinda guys will get what they deserve. Will the guy who tried to kill you get what he deserves?"

"Yes thanks to your video. I honestly can't say enough about your timing and…and not leaving."

"I was scared when I saw what was happening," Ian adds with a frown. "Was it scary in the hole?" Ian quickly wonders; Danny noticing Jamie's expression instantly change from a genuine smile to a tight lipped one. But a few seconds later, Jamie takes a deep breath and then slowly exhales, his facial expression softening, signaling to Danny that he might actually survive this mental ordeal.

"Yeah…it was scary."

"What was it like?" Scott asks in haste. "We see stuff like that on TV but it wasn't the same."

"It was dark and cold…it was scary," Jamie confesses honestly.

"Did you pray?"

"What?" Jamie looks at Ian in wonder.

"Mom says that when we're scared we can pray and God will help us."

Jamie looks at the young boy and feels heart start to beat a bit faster. His facial expression was a mixture of innocence and complete wonder.

"Yeah I prayed. And he sent me you…and your brother," Jamie looks at the small boy with a warm smile. "He saved my life."

"So that guy that buried you, is he in jail now?" Scott queries.

"Yeah. He won't be getting out for a long time," Danny informs them. "He won't be able to hurt anyone for a long time."

"What about when he gets out?" Scott continues to press.

"Well then he'll have every officer in Manhattan watching him."

"Really?" Ian pipes up. "They all know him?"

"Yeah. He won't be able to hurt anyone again," Danny nods firmly and then looks over at Jamie, hoping his brother will take some reassurance in his words. Jamie had expressed concern over Garth not being rehabilitated in jail, but Danny had assured him then and again today, that Garth's reign of terror was over.

"Well, we're glad you're okay," Scott looks at Jamie and tells him directly.

"Me too."

"Me three," Jamie adds, making both boys snicker. Jamie gives them both a hug, feeling his anxiety leaving and his mind actually telling him that this was actually helping instead of being the emotional hindrance he had feared upon arriving.

"Wanna see our tree fort?" Scott asks after a few seconds of silence.

"Sure," Danny replies in haste, not giving any of them a chance to back out. He had noticed the change in Jamie after he had talked a bit more about his trying ordeal and now that he had a small breakthrough wasn't about to let his brother crawl back into his emotional black hole. "We'll all go."

"When we built the fort, dad bought us this ladder and…"

"He did not," Scott cuts off his little brother. "He made us a ladder," Scott corrects, getting an eye roll from his little brother and making Danny and Jamie exchange amused but knowing glances.

"Dad made us this ladder and then he built us this…" Ian continues the story as the four of them head a little ways from the house and come upon a very homemade two story tree fort in the woods behind the house; opposite direction from where Garth had taken Jamie.

"Now this is cool," Danny utters with an impressed tone as he and Ian pull away, Scott hanging back with Jamie.

"Ian had a nightmare last night," Scott confesses to Jamie.

"I'm sorry," Jamie replies with a frown. "Did um…you?"

"Yeah but mom said it was natural after what we had been through. She wouldn't let us watch the tape with the judge but Ian saw enough to scare him. I saw it all but um…well yeah it was scary."

"I'm really sorry. If I could take that away from you I would."

"Do you have nightmares?"

"I do. I think I will for a few more days at least, and that's completely natural after something like this," Jamie explains with a heavy sigh. "But each time I have one, I wake up and look at a happy picture of myself with my brother and I force my mind to dwell on that image and then I'm okay for a few more hours or at least until the morning."

"Really?"

"Yeah really. Do you have a happy picture of you and your brother? Something that makes you remember good things?"

"Yeah we went down to Disney world last year. I have it on my dresser by my bed, by my rock collection. Do you like rocks?"

"Sure."

"Really?"

"Sure," Jamie shrugs.

"Wanna see what else I collected?"

"Okay," Jamie agrees with a happy smile, allowing Scott to grab him by the jacket and gently pull him in the direction he wants him to go.

Danny lifts Ian into the spot in the tree house he had been trying to get to and then turns to watch Jamie heading to a small spot just beside it and heading for a ledge that has some ordinary looking rocks. He listens to the stories Scott starts to tell Jamie about where he had collected them, laughing as Ian tries to interject with his own version of events; the banter starting to lighten up once again. Things would turn a bit serious at times as either Ian or Scott would stop to ask Jamie something about the hole he was forced into and what it was like, what he was thinking, was he scared, and what it felt like to be rescued.

Finally they head for the main house, being greeted by the boy's mother, Sarah and being treated to a late morning snack of cookies and milk. The banter around the table is kept to a friendly tone, Jamie taking Sarah aside later, while Danny keeps the boys occupied and thanking her for her brave sons.

"They really were a godsend," Jamie confesses as he looks at the older woman with a nervous expression. "Your son's bravery, Scott in particular, really did save my life."

"I saw the tape. I just couldn't believe all the horrible things you had to endure. I'm glad you're okay now. You're brother called us after we were done with the judge. He really cares about you."

"He never gave up on me," Jamie relates with a hint of pride and emotion.

"I hope my boys have as strong a bond as you two have."

Jamie glances into the living room where the two boys were trying to show Danny something, working together to get a small gadget to do what they wanted. "Oh I think they will," he turns back with a genuine smile. "Thanks again."

They stay a bit longer, Danny promising both boys a tour of the NYPD precinct he's stationed out of the next time the whole family is in the city and then a big city lunch; Jamie telling Scott he'd get a special, but private thank you for his help in sending Garth Robinson to jail for a very long time. But as soon as they leave the house, Danny notices Jamie heading for the path that Scott had pointed to earlier, the very path he had used to come upon Jamie and Garth.

"Uh where are you going?"

"I just wanna see…where I was...you know."

"Oh no you don't," Danny hurries after Jamie and stands in his way. "Don't be a damn martyr."

"I hafta see Danny. It'll…"

"No…it'll do good nothing trust me."

"Danny get out of my way," Jamie insists. "Look I don't want a scene but I hafta do this."

"No you don't. In the army, guys thought that too. Oh if they went back to the places they nearly died and faced their fears head on, it would help. It didn't. It just forced them to relive those horrors over and over again. Trust me you don't want that. You had a pretty great day so far…don't screw it up."

"I just hafta see…"

"What? The hole you nearly died in?" Danny half shouts and then quickly lowers his voice.

"Yes!" Jamie argues back.

"The hole has been documented, processed, photographed and covered in so that it wouldn't hurt people or animals. There's nothing there but bad memories! For both of us!" Danny insists with a firm expression.

"But..."

"No buts. For both of us...do you get that? Jamie...I...damn I pulled your pale body out of a cold shallow grave. I have nightmares about that...why the hell do you wanna go back there. I sure as hell don't! It'll just force me to relive those moments and I don't want that. Jamie…don't do this to yourself. It's not worth it. Don't let him win. If not for yourself...then for me. Please?"

Jamie looks at the pleading expression on his brother's face and feels himself wanting to give in. "I just want to clear every image from my head."

"Going back there is only going to make those images come back. It's not worth it. Trust me it's not. Don't let that ass get the last laugh over you; don't give yourself a voluntary setback."

"Okay."

"Good," Danny nods in agreement. But instead of watching Jamie heading back toward him, he watches as he turns his back and remains in place. He hears a soft whimper and within seconds is at his brother's side, noticing his watery expression.

"Sorry," Jamie whispers as he quickly tries to wipe his eyes. "Danny I'm sorry."

"Shhh don't be sorry," Danny whispers in return as he pulls Jamie into his embrace and holds his youngest sibling against his chest for a few more moments. "It's okay. You're gonna be okay. We're all gonna be okay."

Jamie allows himself to sag into his brother's loving embrace, squeezing his eyes shut and praying for Garth's taunting laughter to leave his mind. "I want…his voice…outta my head…" Jamie hisses as he pulls back and looks at Danny with a tormented expression.

"You came and said your peace to those boys. They saved your life and you thanked them. The place…where it happened…it's done now. Jamie, it's done. It's time to leave this place and get back to your life; back to you being in control."

"I want that."

"Me to. Come on…let's go home."

Before Jamie can utter one more word of protest, Danny wraps his arm around Jamie's neck and playfully drags him back to the car, Scott, Ian and their mother Sarah watching with happy smiles from the large front living room window, offering friendly waves as both Reagan boys get into the unmarked police cruiser and finally pull away.

"You hungry?" Danny asks as they get back onto the highway.

"You have time?"

"For the best cheeseburger in town? Course I have time for that," Danny smirks as he heads toward the city and a favorite diner of his. They take a booth at the back; Danny determined to keep the conversation upbeat and light, wanting his brother's day to end on a positive note and not a tormented memory. And the distraction works for when Jamie's walking into the house a few hours later, his mind was refreshed and reliving the happier moments with the boys.

"Welcome back," Frank greets Jamie, Henry looking up from his paper. "So…how'd it go?" Frank asks in a warm tone as Jamie takes off his jacket and heads into the living room.

"Actually…it was um…hard at times. I mean I expected them to ask questions and I was mostly ready but um…well it was a bit more nerve wracking than I expected," Jamie admits honestly.

"Course it was. Going back there," Henry adds. "You didn't go to the site again did you?"

"Danny wouldn't let me," Jamie huffs.

"Good for him. I wouldn't have let you either."

"Pop," Frank warns with a small frown.

"You know I'm right Francis. Tell him."

"Your brother's seen a lot of horrible stuff and he knows what's best for you."

"I thought it would be good for me to confront it head on or something."

"What did you want to gain from going to the actual scene?" Frank wonders.

"I…I don't know…maybe just to see and…" Jamie shrugs as he looks down and then back up again with a heavy frown. "To see if I could I guess. You know stand there and not feel afraid. Do you think that would have worked?"

"Honestly? No," Frank replies in truth. "Your mind would just fill with more questions about Garth's motives; why he did it; what happened if the boys weren't there…what if Danny wasn't close by…and then you would have put yourself into a downward spiral, of which it's hard to climb back up. I'm glad Danny was there."

"I just want his voice out of my head – for good."

"It'll come," Frank assures his son with happy smile. "Now…what time's your date?"

"Gonna leave here at five," Jamie relates with a small sigh.

"Jamie, you're strong and brave and you don't need to prove anything to anyone…yourself included. I know it feels that way but son…you won and you need to take solace in that. You know I have a copy of the tape; you can watch it anytime you feel you need to, but I do warn you that all it will do is force anger to fester once more and prolong the nightmares you that wake you at night."

"I'd give anything for a solid night's rest."

"I promise that will come," Frank assures Jamie with a warm smile as he leans over and gives his shoulder a loving squeeze. They talk a bit longer, Jamie's mind coming to terms with the fact that both his brother and father were right, going back to the scene would have just reopened the horrible wounds he was working so hard to close and move past. The last thing he wants is to give Garth Robinson any kind of hold over him, even an invisible one from jail. _I'll not let you win Garth, _Jamie's mind states in silent conviction. A few moments later, Jamie excuses himself to go and get ready for his date with Sydney, determined to not let his past inklings ruin the evening ahead.

XXXXXXXX

However, as Jamie approaches Sydney's home, he feels his anxiety starting to slowly grow once more. But this time it was not fearful anxiety, but more future apprehension that he was now facing. He was still having a bit of trouble coming to terms with the fact that he couldn't view Sydney as a complete and trusted confidant; something he still envied about Danny and Linda's solid relationship. Would she eventually come around? Would her quiet disdain for his job always be there? Would money also be another bone of festering contention?

"Hey there," Sydney greets Jamie with a warm smile and kiss on lips as she gets into the car that Jamie had borrowed from his father for the night.

"Hey," Jamie kisses her back, offering a friendly wave to her father as they pull away and head for the downtown core of Manhattan. "So fun day?"

"Actually yes. I had lunch with an old friend. Remember Pamela Davis?"

"Refresh my memory…" Jamie states slowly as he meanders through the busy Saturday evening traffic toward the fancy sushi restaurant he had made reservations at the night before.

"Third year law…she was the one with the short bright red hair…"

"Oh yeah the one that argued in favor of the guy with the shoe death."

"And won I might add against very tough odds," Sydney adds with an impressed sounding tone. "Guess where she just a job at as a junior partner?"

"Where?"

"Stubbs, Wilson and Reynolds!" Sydney exclaims with a wide smile. "And yes she still has the bright red hair."

"That alone is enough to intimidate anyone," Jamie lightly smirks. "Well that's great."

"Seriously it is. Oh I've always wanted to work there."

"But I thought you were happy…"

"Jamie, I want to be a junior partner, not just an associate. And okay yeah so she graduated two years earlier but…"

"And she's a junior partner already?" Jamie asks with some skepticism.

"What are you saying?"

"Just must be a really good company to promote from junior associate to partner that fast. No strings attached?"

"Are you suggesting she's pulling favors?" Sydney retorts, earning a small shrug from Jamie. "Well I'd call it ambition. She'll be full partner in no time."

"Right…well here we are," Jamie quickly changes the subject, a bit dismayed at Sydney just kind of blowing over the fact that Pamela might have called in a few favors to get her current professional standing. But not wanting to cause and argument, he ushers his fiancé inside in hopes that the new ambiance will distract her and the conversation can turn away from the law field for a brief spell.

"Nice place," Jamie comments as they are shown to a small private booth.

"Yeah…nice décor," Sydney comments as they both take their seats. "So how was your day?"

"It was good…helped Danny with a few things and then did a bit more studying. I have my first weapons test next week so am kinda nervous."

"Am sure you'll do fine," she gives his hand a small squeeze; Jamie's mind finally starting to settle a little. He had ordered them a bottle of Saki and quickly pours each of them a glass and then holds his up.

"To the future," he encourages.

"Whatever it may bring."

Each of them take a sip and then dive right into the menu, talking about the food, the people around them and things in general; Jamie finally feeling like his life was slowly moving back on track and that this ugly blip would soon be a distant memory.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Sorry this was a bit late but blame RL once again. Okay I really hope you all liked this and up next graduation and a happy ending so stay tuned for one more chappy and thanks again!


	24. Back on the Right Track

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 24 – Back on the Right Track**

* * *

><p>Despite the few tense moments during his date with Sydney the night before, Jamie's sleep wasn't as fitful as he would have expected; his mind, however, reminded that he did have to ensure the conversation stayed on a neutral subject; especially after Sydney wanted to talk more about Pamela's promotion and how she couldn't wait to get the word 'junior associate' off her business card and see the word junior partner.<p>

"And on it went," Jamie grumbles as he slowly pushes himself from bed and heads for the bathroom to have a shower and get the day started. As much as he finds he still has lingering anxiety about Sydney, it wasn't the kind of gut tightening anxiety that he would be facing if tomorrow he'd be walking in with Garth waiting for him.

But with Garth now out of the way, he has only two sessions, if necessary, with the doctor his father had recommended and then it was back his regular school schedule, part time job and trying to get Sydney trying to confirm an actual wedding date.

"Morning kid…how'd last night go?" Henry asks as Jamie enters the kitchen about half hour later.

"Actually…it ended on a mostly positive note, so that's good right?"

"Mostly? You two didn't argue _as much_?" Henry tosses back.

"A little but I kept it simple you know?" Jamie explains as he helps with breakfast. "She still won't set a date. Keeps saying the fall or something but…"

"She'll come around. You said it was better right?" Henry questions as he turns and looks at Jamie in suspect.

"What was better?"

"Dinner last night," Jamie answers his father with a small smile before he turns back to the coffee maker with a small frown.

"Jamie?" Frank asks as he steps closer. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah just…tomorrow…first time in weeks that I won't have to worry about Garth doing or saying something stupid and actually concentrate on classes."

"Well if they thought you were a force to be reckoned with before, they sure as hell will now," Henry quips with a small smirk.

"We have our first marksmanship test this week. I finally can get some real practice time without having to look over my shoulder," Jamie mentions with a small sigh of relief.

"And are you okay with going to see Dr. Roberts?" Frank asks in an undertone as Henry takes a few items to the table for breakfast.

"Yeah. I mean I know it's just procedure but…"

"Yes its recommended procedure but he might also help you come to terms with things you might not know you need to come to terms with."

"Huh?" Jamie looks at Frank who offers his youngest a small smirk. "I just wanna get back to a normal routine you know? Just to not walk in there and have my friends asking about…"

"What Garth's going to do next," Frank concludes Jamie's sentence. "Each day is gonna get better. You said yesterday with the two young boys that it actually helped. Dr. Roberts isn't going to sit there evaluating your faults. He just wants to make sure you know that it's okay to acknowledge weakness and then make a plan to minimize them."

"Thanks dad," Jamie whispers warmly as Henry walks back into the room. The banter quickly changes away from the heavy talk of Jamie's ordeal with Garth, to what was to be expected from the day and the coming week ahead for all of them. Until the time to reconvene for family dinner, Jamie holds up in his bedroom, with his books on his lap and his mind eager to get back to a normal life – his mind thankful that Garth is sitting in a jail cell, hopefully contemplating his vengeful actions.

"Looks like you're gonna ace it," Danny's voice suddenly pulls Jamie from his light stupor.

"Danny…hey," Jamie quickly fumbles as he sits upright and fixes the books that had spilt off his lap. "Sorry…fell asleep."

"Don't worry about it kid…napping on Sunday's acceptable."

"Maybe at grandpa's age," Jamie retorts, making Danny snicker. "Long day yesterday."

"Yeah but you did good. Speaking of tense situations, how'd it go last night?" Danny asks as he slowly closes Jamie's door for some added privacy.

"It um…it was okay. Just that…I always feel like I'm walking on eggshells around her and its…I just hope that we get to what you and Linda have."

"It'll come," Danny's hand rests on Jamie's shoulder and gives it a small squeeze.

"You sure?"

"Either that or you'll both come to your senses before the wedding and not after."

"Da-nny," Jamie groans.

"What? It's the truth…divorces are expensive."

"I don't want a divorce. I want a long, happy successful marriage like you have and dad had," Jamie ponders. "I see Erin and…and it's miserable for her."

"She set a date yet?"

"No. I think she wants to wait until after graduation," Jamie groans.

"Only a few more months."

"Only," Jamie sigh as he decides to change the subject. "Anything from um…Garth?" Jamie dares to ask.

"Ah just the usual BS," Danny shrugs, not wanting to tell his brother that he had gotten a text from his partner the night before and that Garth was vowing revenge and that he'd be fighting the process every step of the way. But then another had come through saying that Garth had apologized to the same guard he had spouted off to and said it was all a joke and he'd do his time and just wanted to get back to his past life.

"Usual?"

"Yeah he doesn't like the food…the color of his uniform," Danny's voice rattles off. "Nothin' to worry about."

"He ever say anything about me?"

"You mean about you sending his ass to jail?"

"Yeah."

"Nothin' to lose sleep over."

"Danny," Jamie presses.

"Trust me…nothin' to worry about. It's the same crap we hear from everyone. It wasn't my fault…I was framed…blah blah blah," Danny tries to assure his brother. "Now tell me about your first shooting test."

"I think I'll be okay."

"Is that so Wild Bill?" Danny teases. "How about you come down to the range on Thursday after class and I'll show you a thing or two."

"Really?" Jamie asks with a happy

"Yeah. Now come on…the two rugrats have been asking to see their uncle."

Jamie quickly puts his books away and follows after Danny, heading into the living room to see his nephews; the talk still mum about his exact ordeal. About half hour later, they are all seated around the dinner table, Frank looking at his family with a proud smile; a feeling of happy contentment starting to consume him, especially when he notices Jamie and Danny look up and exchange happy smiles. Tonight was going to end on a better note than the night before and Jamie finds himself going to bed actually looking forward to the week ahead.

XXXXXXXX

"Hey man, look who's back," Tom mentions as Jamie walks up to him, Matt, Emma and Maria all seated at a table outside the large academy's doors. Tom welcomes Jamie with a hug as Jamie sits down beside his friends; his mind having been prepared for this onslaught the moment he woke up.

"How'd it go?"

"Where's Garth?"

"What happens now?"

"Are you okay?"

Jamie quickly hands out the answers and then tells his friends that it was over and it was time for him…all of them to move on; he didn't want to talk anymore about Garth Robinson and the hellish ordeal he had been forced to endure. He just wants to feel normal once again.

"Seriously…everyone is glad he's finally gone," Tom whispers as he pats Jamie on the back, the bell having rung and them now all heading toward the locker rooms to change. Jamie enters with some hesitation, his mind flashing back to the last ill-fated morning, when Garth was waiting for him and he was wearing Danny's wire. He feels his stomach tighten and his heart to slightly pound a bit harder as he nears his locker door. But he takes a deep breath, pulls the door open and goes about his routine of dressing for the first half of the day.

As he enters the auditorium, his eyes automatically scan for Garth and Aaron, neither of the troublemaking bullies to be found; Aaron arrested on lesser charges but told his future with the NYPD was as moot as Garth's, there was no room for bullies or those that take the law into their own hands – especially those hired to uphold it.

"Morning everyone," the new physical Instructor greets them. "My name is Ryan McGinty. As some of you know Instructor Atchison has now taken the post of facility administrator and…" his voice trails off. Jamie's anxiety starts to lessen as each minute passes and as he takes his new partner assignment for the week, he finds his morbid dread of working with someone new has actually dissipated.

"Hey I'm Henry," the new recruit greets Jamie.

"Same name as my grandfather," Jamie smiles.

"Good name then. And you?"

"Jamie. So I guess we're shooting partners for the week."

"Are you as nervous as I am?" Henry asks with a heavy frown as they all head for the gun cage to get their training weapons.

"Actually…yeah, but…" Jamie starts. The morning actually moves by with some ease; their weapons training of course all needing work, Maria the lone student excelling at every test put upon her and leaving her fellow classmates a good pace behind.

"Seriously you are kicking all our asses," Matt laments.

"I want to be the first woman recruit to win the sharpshooter medal," Maria states proudly.

"You keep doing what you're doing today and you will," Jamie replies with a smile.

"Thanks," she gives him a happy grin.

At lunch the small group of friends sits outside, talking about the new partners they had been paired up with for the week ahead, their weapons of choice, what the shooting exam at the end of the week might entail and what homework they all hadn't finished for the afternoon. When Jamie walks into the afternoon class, his stomach is settled almost completely and his mind finally gotten used to the fact that Garth was indeed gone – for good. He was excused by Administrator Atchison for not having his homework done for today's class, Jamie telling Instructor Danton, it wouldn't happen again.

"Oh I think an exception will be acceptable this time Reagan," Danton smiles at Jamie. "Welcome back."

"Good to be back Sir."

"Alright class…let's get started."

Jamie takes his seat beside Maria and Tom, as per his normal, the seats that Garth and Aaron used to occupy still noticeably vacant. It was too late in the intake term to replace them, so they'd remain empty – a very real reminder to those that thought they could get away with trying to break the rules and govern themselves in an organization based on rules.

"As usual Reagan, you haven't missed a step in this arena," Danton praises as he hands Jamie his marked test – 10/10. Jamie smiles as he looks over at Tom, their two fists connecting in an in-air fist pump. For a split second Jamie hears Garth's snide remarks and feels his heart skip a beat. But as he reminds himself that Garth's in jail, he settles back into his chair for the remainder of the afternoon. After classes are finally over, it's time to get dressed and then head for his first appointment with Dr. Roberts.

XXXXXXXX

"Dr. Roberts will be with you shortly," the neatly dresses assistant of the NYPD psychologist greets Jamie with a friendly smile.

"Sure," Jamie replies with a somewhat nervous tone as he sits down in the empty office. He was the last appointment of the day; heading straight from the academy and telling himself that if he didn't actually feel sick after his discussion then he'd have dinner at home; whatever was left over.

The academic day had ended on a very positive note, Jamie actually looking forward to the rest of the week, studying, homework, work and of course exams. Wanting to do everything in his power to not only graduate, but graduate as close to the top as possible. His fingers nervously fidget with the edge of his knapsack as he waits; his eyes darting between the closed door and the slowly ticking clock. Finally the wait comes to an end as the door opens and an older gentleman who resembles actor Ron Howard steps forward.

"Jamie? Come with me."

"Sure," Jamie nods as he stands up and heads past the busy receptionist and into the smartly decorated office.

"Please sit," Dr. Roberts instructs as Jamie nervously stands in place until told what to do or where to sit. "Please take your coat off and…"

"Where should I hang it Sir?"

"And please call me George. I never liked Sir," he replies with an easy smile, pushing his glasses a bit further up his nose.

"Okay."

Jamie hangs up his coat and then sits in the chair facing Dr. Roberts, his once dormant anxiety, now skyrocketing to the fore. "So um what do I do first?"

"Relax," Dr. Roberts calmly instructs. "We go according to your pace. How were classes today?"

"Classes?" Jamie asks, a bit taken aback by the question; his mind telling him on the subway ride over that he'd just have to talk about the ordeal and dive right into it. "Yeah they were fine. Busy…" Jamie pauses with a nervous smirk. "But fine."

"What do you like most about them?"

"My classes?" Jamie repeats nervously. "Before Garth or after."

"In general."

"I um…"

"Jamie you're fingers are curled so tightly around those handles that if you don't let go soon, something is going to break. And breaking your knuckles the week of a big exam isn't what you want right?"

"Sorry…just nervous."

"Understandable and that's why I want to get you comfortable by talking about something related to what happened but not just diving right into it. We can if you'd like, but my experience has taught me that to shell shock a client, isn't the best course of action."

_Client…_as soon as that word is spoken, Jamie feels his mind starting to settle. It sounds better than patient and there was no way he'd let himself be referred to as victim. Survivor would have been okay, but the term _client _actually makes him feel as if he was the one in charge of this call and not that it was being forced upon him as he had felt a few days earlier.

"I really enjoy the law aspect. I guess because I just finished Harvard and…" Jamie launches into his answer. His mind starting to settle as he elaborates a bit more on the law aspect; his anxiety dropping and allowing him to answer normally the next few questions that follow, his stomach starting to untighten even more as he continues to discuss a subject he actually enjoys. The discussion of course next turns to Garth and once that name is mentioned, his anxiety speeds back up and Jamie knows the rest of his discussion is going to be a real roller coaster ride. By the time the special two hour session is over, Jamie rests in the chair for a few moments, drying some anxiety-filled tears before thanking Dr. Roberts and collecting his things.

"Do you need a ride home? I can call your brother or father o…"

"No," Jamie answers in haste. "I'll…I'll be okay thanks."

"I know today was hard and we covered a lot of ground. There was no right or wrong answers…there were just answers. So don't go home and reevaluate everything you said, wondering what else you could have added, taken away or left out altogether."

"Was hard to relive all that stuff again," Jamie admits in truth.

"I know, but you said you told me a few things here that you haven't even told your family. So opening up like that, trust me, is going to help more than hinder. You can only grow stronger from all this Jamie. Am proud of you."

"Thank you," Jamie gives the older man a weak smile before he gathers up his knapsack and jacket; his back and neck damp from nervous perspiration. With the second appointment already set for Wednesday night, Jamie hurries past the now empty reception desk, down the two flights of stairs, pushing his way into the darkened back alley and throwing up.

"Ahhh," he huffs as he leans against the cold brick building and squeezes his watery eyes shut. He knew it would be painful, but he wasn't prepared for how tense he would feel after he was forced to relive, moments…feelings…some things he hadn't even told his family about. But it was done. He wouldn't have to go back over those same scars if he didn't want to. One more session to wrap things or to reschedule another appointment if he felt necessary – he was the in control.

"Me…I call the shots," Jamie repeats to himself as his body starts to get the chills from the adrenaline finally wearing off. He pulls on his jacket, clutches his knapsack to his madly beating heart and slowly heads for the subway entrance, his stomach reminding him that it was too angry to eat.

"Jamie, that you?" Frank calls out about half hour later as Jamie enters the Reagan family home.

"Yeah," Jamie replies as he hangs up his jacket and heads into the living room to see his father and grandfather well into a game of chess.

"Hungry?" Henry questions as Jamie slumps down into a nearby chair.

"Not really," Jamie confesses in truth; prompting Frank to look up in concern and frown. "Stomach is still too tight."

"How'd it go?"

"Threw up afterwards," Jamie admits with a soft lament, this time Henry's head snapping up in concern.

"Well that's to be expected," Frank mentions with a knowing tone. "Did George go easy on you?"

"Actually…yeah. He was pretty fair. I expected worse. I mean the talking about it and such was tough but um…I got through most of it. He still wants me to come back Wednesday and I'm gonna go but um…but I think it was good I told him…stuff."

"Don't feel obligated to tell us Jamie," Frank assures his son in haste, watching his blue eyes darting between the floor and the two older faces watching him intently. "What you said to Dr. Roberts is between you and him."

"Just felt good to talk and know I wouldn't be judged," Jamie comments, looking back up in expectation.

"Well that's how you're supposed to come away feeling," Frank replies with a warm smile. "Now…how was the first day back in classes? What's your new instructor like?"

"Felt good to be back. I like the new guy. He reminds me that guy from the western movies."

"John Wayne?" Henry pipes up.

"Someone who's still alive pop," Frank smirks.

"Who?"

"Ouch," Henry frowns as he chuckles.

"Sam Elliot?"

"Yeah him. Big mustache right?"

"It was the stache that got him the job," Henry ribs Frank, making Jamie laugh.

"My new shooting partner for the week is Henry Wallace."

"Henry," Henry smiles. "Good name."

"Ha, he said that too," Jamie smirks as he starts to tell them about his day and his plans for the week ahead. After about an hour of just talking and relaxing, Jamie follows his grandfather into the kitchen, happily accepting a small plate of food and a warm mug of tea. Finally it was time to call it a night; his body willingly succumbing to the darkness after a very long physically and mentally exhausting day. Morning coming all too soon.

XXXXXXXX

As much as he at first didn't want to believe that talking about the same events as he did with this father and brother with a complete stranger would have helped, Jamie awakens the next morning, actually fresher than the night before, his lips forming a small smile as he looks over at the clock before stretching. He'd go back to his part time job tonight, thankful that his father had called his boss and was able to explain that his absence was actually explainable and that he still wanted his job.

"Now that's more like it," Henry greets Jamie with a broad smile. "Like that spring in your step."

"Slept better than I thought I would," Jamie confesses in with a calm smile.

"Glad to hear it."

"I go back to my job tonight and then…I mean one more session and then the next few months I can really focus on my courses. Something I shoulda been able to do right from the start."

"Yeah but you never let it beat you. That's what's most important," Henry reminds him firmly.

"Yeah but I was wondering at times if I shoulda given in and just made it easier on myself," Jamie frowns.

"Never woulda happened. You're Reagan…not Robinson," Henry winks, making Jamie's face break into a wide smile. "Now what kind of toast do you want?"

"I have a choice this morning?" Jamie asks with a happy grin as he picks the dark rye. As per his routine, he enjoys an early morning breakfast with his grandfather, Frank joining them just as Jamie is about head out the door, his travel mug filled with fresh coffee for his subway ride to the police academy.

"You're almost late," Matt teases as Jamie hurries into the locker room, the first warning buzzer just sounding.

"Ah there was a pile up on 43rd and…." Jamie's voice trails off as he hurries to get ready, thankful that his tardiness was due to a traffic accident and not a personal setback caused by a vengeful student.

"Someone mention bad drivers?" Tom huffs. "My uncle…speaking of bad drivers. He went and busted up his car and I was gonna use that for my date this weekend."

"Take the bus," Matt snickers. "That'll really impress her."

"Better than walking," Tom fires back, Jamie just happy to be one of the guys again, not having to look over his shoulder, worried about his very life and actually engage in the friendly banter as if he was just a regular recruit, not a man that was now trying to get past a very real, near death experience. The chatter finally subsides as they enter the main physical auditorium, ready to get the second day of the week started.

After the day is over, Jamie changes back into his jeans and sweater, says goodnight to his friends and heads for the bus stop and then toward his part time job; his mind now wondering about getting a car of his own. _Maybe Joe's? No one's using it, _he ponders as he pushes his way into the warehouse.

"Mr. Andrews?" Jamie calls out as he nears the supervisor's office.

"Jamie…welcome back," the older man greets him with a friendly smile. "Ready to get started?"

"Ready," Jamie confirms as he stows his stuff into the small work locker, shoves the key into his pocket and heads for his first assignment, happy to be putting the past behind him and getting back on the right track. _Graduation…here I come!_

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><p><strong>AN: **Okay I lied! Sorry…please forgive me. I thought I could cover off everything I wanted to in this chapter but I didn't want to rush a few things or make this update too long. So there will be one more chapter coming! But that's it lol but I do hope you all liked this update and please do review before you go and thanks so much!


	25. Graduation! Welcome to the NYPD!

**Title: Police Academy – Becoming Blue  
><strong>**Chapter 25 – Graduation! Welcome to the NYPD! **

**A/N: Well everyone we have reached the end of this journey! I really want to THANK YOU ALL for your time in reading this story and most importantly reviewing b/c that's what keeps us going. **Iris** you are one of the few without a fanfic account that I can't thank personally but I want to extend a special thanks for your keeping up with each chapter and your encouraging feedback – most appreciated! **

**I hope you all like this ending!**

_"Words in italics and quotes – directly from the episode 1.01 Pilot"_

* * *

><p><strong>~Epilogue~<strong>

"Alright Jamie, will I see you Saturday night?" Jamie's employer, Mr. Andrews inquires as Jamie gets his jacket and prepares to leave for the night.

"You sure will," Jamie answers with a firm nod. He takes a step out into the cool night air and inhales deeply; allowing the fresh intake to slightly rejuvenate him before he heads for home. His body was tired but the lifting and moving actually served to keep his mind occupied and work out any lingering tension for the strict routine that day.

But just as Jamie takes a few more steps toward the end of the street, suddenly a set of lights happens upon him, a dark sedan pulling to a sharp stop by the curb and Jamie slightly jumping back, his heart rate instantly elevating. For a few seconds, his mind flashes him an image of Garth getting out of car and racing toward him with a raised gun.

"Hey kid…need a ride?" Danny's warm and friendly voice instantly forced Garth's menacing image to fade, allowing Jamie to quickly exhale and then nod. "You okay?"

"Just startled me," Jamie confesses with a small frown as he gets into Danny's car. "Memories."

"Sorry. Forgot that Garth snuck up on you out here."

"It's okay. But sure felt good to get back to work you know?"

"Yeah…I know. You ready for the precinct tomorrow after school?"

"You still can?"

"You wanna ace that test don't you?"

"Trust me Maria's gonna kick my ass."

"That good huh?"

"Oh yeah, she…" Jamie starts into his explanation about his fellow student's weapon's skills; the ride home more enjoyable with Danny at his side, chatting casually and just further growing a bond as brothers. Jamie says goodnight to Danny and heads into his home with a happy smile; gently closing the door and heading straight for his bedroom, sleep actually something to be welcomed tonight instead of feared. Jamie's eyes close almost as soon as his head hits the pillow; unlike the night before his night ahead is filled with happier images of him and Danny…Garth's ugly face rapidly dissipating.

The next day Jamie awakens, even more refreshed than he had the night before, his mind actually looking forward to the entire day instead of just bits and pieces. After having a very light breakfast, Jamie hurries off to the academy, where he arrives early in the locker room, plunks down on the first bench and finishes his homework that he missed due to work, the night before.

"Jamie? You're in early," new Administrator Dean Atchison greets him.

"Had to work last night so I just wanted to get the last few questions answered."

"How are you doing after all that…stuff?" Atchison treads carefully.

"Actually am doing better."

"But it's still gonna take a few days right?"

"It will and I'm okay with that as long as I know I don't hafta contend with Garth's stupidity on a regular basis."

"Nope just smooth sailing for the next few months until graduation," Atchison gives him a firm pat on the back. "Okay I'll let you get back to it, but remember…my door is always open if you need it."

"Thanks," Jamie states with a friendly smile as the older man takes his leave; Jamie using the last few minutes of his alone time to finish his homework and then talk with Matt and Tom when they arrive. Talking and laughing with his friends feels better than he could have expected, his mind inwardly proud of himself for not ever giving in, knowing that Garth now has nothing to be proud about; his days more than likely filled with regret and anger over his own stupid actions.

"You worried about tomorrow's test?" Tom asks in a low tone as they head for the large gymnasium.

"A little. But Danny's gonna let me practice at the precinct tonight so that's kinda cool right?"

"Heck yes it is," Tom replies with a wide smile. "Think you'll get up to Maria's level?"

"No one's that good," Jamie looks over at his friend and boasts, taking back a warm smile of thanks.

"Guys the test is tomorrow. Anyone can excel."

"She's so modest."

"She only _sounds_ that way."

"Okay them's fightin' words Matthew," Maria teases, making Matt wince.

"You don't like Matthew?"

"You do, Thomas Bartholomew?"

"Dang it."

"What? That's your middle name?" Jamie looks at his friend in surprise.

"It really is Jamison," Tom retorts as they all just groan and stop with the whole name calling. "Graduation's gonna be fun when they start calling out all the legal names."

"Hey just be happy there isn't a Huck Finn here," Matt snickers. "Would Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn please come forward, they'll be new partners who…" Matt's voice dies out with a laugh.

"Yeah you're funny Matthew Oswald."

"Oswald?" The rest of the group asks in surprise.

"You're so dead," Matt playfully teases Tom who laughs.

"Is that so Oswald Cobblepot," Tom continues, referring to the penguin Batman villan.

"That's it..." Matt lunges at Tom and playfully puts him in a headlock.

Their friendly banter quickly dies as their instructor comes in and its time to start the day. They are given one more reminder of the weapons test tomorrow and then told they'll be starting their driving lessons next week. Jamie and his partner of the week Henry, take their training weapons and follow after another pairing for the morning session, his mind actually eager to get to see Danny tonight and test his wits against a real police practice room setting.

The day had passed by so far with ease and on the short subway ride over to the precinct, Jamie finds himself actually anxious to get there and see just how well he does with a real NYPD weapon in his hands. Jamie heads into Danny's building with his anticipation growing.

"Hey hold on sec," Danny gestures for Jamie to take a seat by his partner.

"You here to practice for the big test tomorrow?" Demarcus asks in wonder.

"Think I'll be able to use real bullets?"

"Uh no," Danny pipes up, making Jamie look up with a small frown and Demarcus snicker. Jamie looks around the bustling room, officers in uniform writing on forms, plain clothes talking to witnesses, clerks taking statements, booking perps…everything around him was fueling his excitement that soon this would be the life he'd be immersed in on a daily basis.

"So this is the last of the holdouts," a firm voice walks up to Jamie from behind.

"Jamie Reagan, meet Sergeant Anthony Renzulli."

"Hey kid…nice to meet you finally. Danny says…things," he smirks as he shakes Jamie's hand and then pulls back with a friendly smile.

"Things?" Jamie looks over at his oldest brother.

"He's being a wiseass," Danny shrugs. "i say _lots _of things. Don't you have a cat to chase Renzulli?" Danny teases with a smile.

"Yeah sure. See ya around Reagan."

"Yeah see ya," Jamie replies, not knowing that the man he had just met was the training officer for his brother Joe and in a few short months would be his partner for the next year or so.

"Ready?"

"So why can't I use real bullets?"

"Because."

"Because isn't an answer Danny," Jamie playfully retorts.

"How about I lock you in a cell. That's real."

"Funny," Jamie deadpans as Danny pats him on the back.

"Come on Dirty Harry…this way."

Jamie enters the room where the cops practice, letting the smell of ammunition and the cool air feed his senses and desire to become the real thing. He follows after Danny, knowing he'd have to stay within strict guidelines so that Danny wouldn't get into trouble and nothing accidental would happen.

"Okay here you…"

"I know what I'm doing Danny," Jamie insists as he tries to pull away from Danny.

"You wanna do this or not?" Danny snatches the training weapon from Jamie's grasp; the two of them a bit too close for comfort in the small shooting cubicle.

"Fine," Jamie lightly grumbles.

"I swear sometimes you deserve a good lashing," Danny smirks as he loads the training weapon. "Here…show me whatcha got."

Jamie takes the weapon and holds it in his grasp; his mind instantly noticing even the slightest difference in weight than the ones they use at the academy. Although at the academy they are trained with the actual weapons they would be using in the field, this one has more wear and slightly pulls to the right.

"Damn you suck," Danny chuckles as the blank shot lands upwards by the shoulder.

"You gave me a lame gun."

"Hey you're_ given_ your first service weapon, _soon to be rookie_, you gotta work with whatcha got," Danny winks, making Jamie shake his head but try again. This time adjusting for the fact the weapon seemed to favor the upper right hand corner the last time, the next shot is within the circled target and Jamie feels his confidence starting to grow. The third shot is even closer, the fourth and fifth the same.

"Not bad."

"Yeah."

"You expected to be dead center after four half days of training?" Danny asks in surprise as Jamie merely shrugs. "Nice try new recruit Reagan. Not gonna happen."

"Maria's already at the center."

"Yeah okay but she's special. You wanna try again?"

"I do. Am I allowed?"

"Well they haven't told us to leave yet have they? Go again."

For the next twenty minutes, Jamie would practice firing at the target, feeling his skill getting better and better, despite the obvious handicap of the well used practice weapon.

"So you gonna ace tomorrow?"

"I'll settle for second," Jamie replies as he reaches for his coat. "Trust me I know in this area, Maria's gonna kick my butt."

"Ah never say never. Look I gotta stay here a bit longer but…"

"I'm okay on the bus," Jamie insists as they walk back to Danny's desk.

"Did he blow away the badguy?"

"Wounded him so we could finish him off," Danny snickers, drawing a small eye roll from Jamie. "It's your first time kid…you kicked ass."

"Thanks," Jamie takes the compliment with a proud smile as he prepares to leave. On the subway ride and then the short walk home, Jamie's mind was replaying over and over all the things Danny had taught him in the brief half hour lesson. He knew he wouldn't have as much free practice time at the actual precinct as at the academy but somehow his time with Danny seemed to make more of a difference.

"Jamie?"

"Yeah it's me," Jamie calls out as he enters the kitchen after dumping his coat and knapsack. "Smells good. What can I help with?"

"Now you musta had a good day with that kinda request," Henry looks at his youngest grandson and smiles warmly. "You ready for tomorrow?"

"I am," Jamie states firmly. "And next week we start our driving exercises."

"Now that's gonna be scary."

"What's gonna be scary."

"Francis…you're home early," Henry notes.

"One of the nice things about being in charge...I can send myself home early if I want," Frank smiles as he looks over at Jamie. "How'd it go with Danny?"

"My last shot was the best," Jamie mentions in truth.

"Always is," Henry smiles. "You wanna know how your old man did on his first exam?"

"Pop…we're not talking about me."

"Come on dad," Jamie urges.

"I passed."

"Only a pass?" Jamie counters, trying to hold back a surprised chuckle.

"You shoulda heard my father after that," Frank retorts, making Henry chuckle and shrug. "You seem more content today though."

"I feel better. Worked last night…and each day without Garth just is better and better. I heard Danny talking about him…what happened?"

"Garth's awaiting his official sentencing. Should come down next week. He decided not to push for a trial and will get some time reduced for good behavior," Frank explains, Jamie wanting to protest, but since knowing how the legal system works, knows there would be no point. Garth would get whatever the state would push for in light of the very clear and damning evidence and he can only hope that his time in incarceration would help rehabilitate him; although his future with the NYPD was over for good. Same with his father, they would never be hired by the state again.

After dinner, Jamie calls Sydney and chats with her for a bit, always dismayed when they hang up and she hasn't set a date; this time the wedding wasn't even mentioned. The following day Jamie heads into the academy, doing better on his weapons test than expected, but of course, being like everyone else and falling well behind their fellow student weapons leader – Maria Romano.

The following week, Jamie attends his second meeting with Dr. George Roberts which actually serves to get rid of any lingering fears he had about his very trying ordeal. The nightmares were still lingering although they were slowly dissipating.

"Remember Jamie sometimes these things will ebb and flow for months and for some people, years. That is normal and doesn't make you weak or lesser in any way," Dr. Roberts concluded their second important session. "My door is always here for you and whatever you say, you know stays here. I want to see you succeed Jamie, I really do. Call...if you ever _want or need _to talk. Good luck with the reason of the term."

With those encouraging words, Jamie leaves Dr. Roberts office with his business card now tucked into his wallet, the session with the older man making him feel empowered and strengthened. After that, life falls back into a normal routine with school classes, homework, training sessions with Danny, work and then date nights with Sydney. The months that follow are enjoyable and pass by with almost lightning speed – Garth Robinson's name almost forgotten.

Finally…four months later…the time finally arrives.

XXXXXXXX

**~the night before graduation~**

"Why the hell am is so nervous," Jamie mutters to himself as he looks at the dark navy uniform still in the plastic coating from the academy.

"Well this is a first," Frank's warm voice is heard as he lingers in Jamie's doorway with a proud smile. "I know tomorrow's gonna be a whirlwind for you so I wanna say my heartfelt congratulations right now son; I'm very proud of you."

"Thanks dad," Jamie smiles at his father. "You think mom would be happy?"

Frank looks at Jamie and remembers the promise he had made to Mary, his late wife and Jamie's mother and frowns before he nods and replies. "She'd be very proud of you son."

Jamie beams at his father's words and then looks back at the uniform. "So how does it work again tomorrow?"

"Well…" Frank starts into his explanation of what Jamie could expect from the big NYPD graduation ceremony and events to follow. Father and son spend a bit more time together before Frank says his goodnight and leaves Jamie's room. Jamie looks at the clock and frowns, his mind too eager and anxious for the following day to actually try to get some sleep. He pulls out a book that Sydney had given him, opens the page and holds back a gasp as he looks down at a note he had made to talk to Danny about getting a wire.

Jamie shakes his head trying to get Garth's menacing face to clear but at the same time, can't help but wonder what Garth would be thinking knowing that graduation is tomorrow and he would be missing it – by his own doing.

_"What the hell's going on?" Garth gruffly asks his roommate who returns to their cramped cell, a few guards rushing past._

_"Shift change. I guess there's some big thing tomorrow for the cops and a few hafta get their asses in gear so they can attend. Who the hell cares," he shrugs._

_"Graduation," Garth hisses under his breath._

_"What's that?"_

_"Nothin'," Garth groans as he looks out through the bars and into the common area where two guards were talking to two others, the news on in the background; the reporter interviewing a uniformed NYPD officer. "You'll get yours someday Reagan. I swear you will."_

_"So this guy Jamie…"_

_"Yeah what about him?" Garth turns around with a half snap._

_"Hey whatever man. I heard you mumble his name a few times so was just curious. He someone special to you?"_

_"Yeah…he's special," Garth sneers. "And we'll leave it at that."_

_"Whatever."_

_Garth hops onto his top bunk and punches his pillow, picturing Jamie's face and allowing a twisted smile to form. His father was given a reduced sentence that amounted to a mere formality and only about a year served in actual jail time; after that he would be given his walking papers but never allowed to work for the NYPD again. Garth was given a ten year sentence for his crimes, ten years to sit and ponder what he had done wrong and then try to learn from his mistakes and reenter society a reformed individual. Only time would tell if the system would be effective._

_"Lights out!"_

XXXXXXXX

**~NYPD Graduation day~**

Jamie awakens early the next morning, his stomach tight from excited anticipation. The big day had finally arrived; in a few hours they would all be heading to Madison Square Garden for the annual NYPD Graduation ceremony. Jamie quickly showers and then hurries back to his room, wanting to get to the stadium early so he could talk to his friends before the big event.

"No coffee," Jamie mumbles to himself as he feels his frame starting to get the jitters.

"No coffee?" Frank asks with a small smile. "You're gonna do fine Jaime."

"I just don't wanna do something wrong," Jamie half smirks.

"Today all you need to do is listen to me ramble on," Frank replies warmly. "You passed beyond all our expectations."

"Can I save the coffee for lunch?"

"Sure," Frank lightly chuckles as he gives Jamie a hug. "Love you son."

"Love you too dad," Jaime whispers as Henry slowly ambles into the kitchen.

"What'd I miss?"

"Morning pop."

"Morning. Okay who's having coffee?"

Jamie helps with breakfast, enjoying the friendly family banter with his father and grandfather; then excusing himself afterward to call Sydney to make sure she knows when to be there. After getting her assurance she'll be there as promised, Jamie quickly dresses in his graduation uniform and then looks in the mirror.

"Now that…is a sight to see," Henry smiles as he takes a picture of Jamie. "See you later."

Jamie ops for a cab and arrives at MSG the same time as Tom and Matt.

"Wow can you believe that Maria is getting an award?" Tom asks with a broad smile.

"She totally earned it," Jamie agrees as they head for the main area they were told to wait before entering and then taking their seats.

"Kinda cool to know your dad is going to be giving the welcome speech," Matt pipes up.

"Actually its making me more nervous," Jamie smirks.

"Nah today is the easy part," Maria comes up to them with a beaming smile.

"Oh yeah Ms. You Kicked all our asses and are getting an amazing award," Tom teases as he gives her a hug.

"Okay guys, total Kodak moment," Emma announces as she pulls out her camera, handing it to a fellow student and then pushing her way beside her five close friends.

"Alright everyone, say we did it."

"WE DID IT!" They all shout just as the picture is taken, the memory instantly caught in time. The five then exchange hugs, ensure they all have the right phone numbers and email addresses, promising to keep in touch and then meet on Friday night the following week and trade their stories about their first week as official NYPD rookies.

"Alright everyone…can I have a moment please," Administrator Dean Atchison walks up to the gathering group, with his friend, Instructor James Danton at his side, all the new recruits standing as still as possible.

"Before you get the official welcome from Commissioner Reagan I just want to say how proud I am of each and everyone one of you standing before me today. We have lost some along the way, but the cream has risen to the top and to know I had even a small share in helping each of you reach your goal and stand before me today; that makes me very proud. I hope you all remember this day and are just as happy and proud as me. James?" Dean looks over at his friend.

"Ditto," Danton replies, getting a small chuckle from the large group before them. "You all kicked ass and deserve the shield you'll pick up in a few days. Congratulations everyone! Now let's go get em."

"YES SIR!" Everyone shouts before a very loud round of applause is heard. A few moments later, a sharp whistle sound is heard, forcing them all to line up in formation and prepare to enter the large stadium auditorium. With his heart racing, Jamie falls into line beside Tom as they head into the bright lights; the world around him slowing to a very surreal pace.

Excited was hardly the word he could use to describe the emotions he was now feeling. Jamie looks up into where Danny said they'd be sitting and catches a glimpse of his family all proudly watching. _I did it Joe...I really did it! _Jamie's heart beats rapidly as he takes his seat and watches his father slowly head for the platform, his fists tight with excited energy and his stomach in nervous knots. Garth Robinson's name was never even entertained for a second to ruin the day – the future was now unhindered.

Frank looks into the audience with a happy smile, finally allowing his gaze to linger on his youngest, his own heart swelling with proud emotion. He takes a deep breath, a hush falling over the large crowd. Tomorrow had finally arrived – for all of them. It was time to officially welcome his youngest into the family; the NYPD family.

_"It is with profound praise and gratitude that I welcome you new police officers. Proud that you have answered the call to serve and today join the ranks of New York's Finest. You have earned the distinction of being the best trained, best prepared police officers in the world. To Serve and Protect the most vibrant city in the world. For everyday breeds a responsibility to keep all New Yorker's safe. Safe from crime and safe from terrorism. And though the city is on the very cutting edge of technology; nothing replaces your unwavering sense of right and wrong, and your eyes and ears on the street. And we remain safe because of the hard work and dedication of men and women of the New York City Police Department. Now we all wear the same blue uniform, carry the same shield; now you are a part of the finest police force in the world. Congratulations to your families, your friends, and congratulations to you – our new New York City Police officers."_

As soon as Frank stops speaking, the large group of new recruits erupts into happy applause, following the tradition of tossing their gloves into the air to signify that their new recruit status was over – now it was time to officially become Blue; NYPD Blue. Jamie hugs Tom, Matt, Emma and Maria, the small group all caught up in the excited emotion.

_"Proud of you son," Frank smiles at Jamie after they all are able to finally gather outside; Jamie pulling away from his friends for a celebratory lunch with his family._

_"Thanks dad."_

_"Congratulations Reagan, you made it," Maria comes up to them; much to Sydney's chagrin._

_"Dad this is Officer Romano."_

_"First woman recruit to win the sharpshooter medal. Well done," Frank congratulates Jamie's friend._

_"Thank you sir. I just wanted to say hello."_

_"Well now that we're all here I guess we should get lunch," Frank invites them all for lunch._

_"Oh sorry, first year associates don't get lunch. I'm lucky they let me out for this," Sydney excuses herself in haste, quickly turning back to Jaime and adding, "it was amazing," before excusing herself, kissing Jamie and leaving the Reagan clan._

_"I gotta run also…" _Danny pipes up as he looks at Jamie and winks. "See you later kid. You did great today."

Minus Danny, the rest of the Reagan clan heads for their favorite restaurant, a call ahead from Frank to reserve a table ensures the whole family would be able to sit at the same table and celebrate Jamie's big day. Jamie watches Danny hurry toward his partner's waiting car and then speed away; his mind telling him that very soon that important call would be something he'd be a part of.

"Jamie you ready?" Frank asks, pulling Jamie's gaze away from the spot Danny used to be and then up at his father.

"Ready to get started."

"On lunch?" Henry smirks.

"No…on the rest of my life," Jamie replies with a wide smile as he turns back once more to see the sea of blue, Joe's face flashing before him with a proud smile before Frank's arm wraps around his son's shoulder, turning him around as they head toward the waiting SUV.

_I did it, _Jamie's mind states with elation as he gets into the SUV and pulls away from the hubbub of blue. _NYPD, here I come!_

**THE END!**

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><p><strong>AN: **Well we made it! :D okay so I wasn't sure about Garth's sentence and all that so made it up but hey whateve…its fanfic and he's staying in jail so that's all that matters lol oh rewatching the premiere eppy was such a delight. And yes my OC Tom was based on the young African-american rookie beside Jamie that he hugs and appears to be friends with. Matt could be anyone lol, only Maria was based on an actual character from the eppy. Special thanks to my friend Emma for letting me use her name :) and yeah and we all know how the rest of the story goes so I'll leave it here and say BRING ON SEASON 3 :)

Well I hope you all liked this story and I do humbly apologize to all those that dropped off during this story but to those that stuck with it to the end I truly do appreciate all your time to read and review – its what kept me going! So please do leave me a final review and thanks so much!


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